New Climate Minister needs to get to COP 28

Bob Hughes

Opinion

New Zealand has a new Government with a new leadership team. Sadly, Simon Watts will be Climate Minister outside the Cabinet. Unlike the previous Labour government with the Green Party’s James Shaw as its representative, climate change is a low priority.

The COP 28 annual climate talks begin in Dubai on November 30. New Zealand has always been an active participant and we must be well represented. This year our delegation includes Iwi/Māori representatives, hopefully led by the new Minister. New Zealand must play its role in reducing emissions.

National has promised to tackle climate change, but very differently from Labour and the Greens.

On October 11, the Ministry for the Environment reported that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities are more speedily changing Aotearoa/ New Zealand’s climate, severely impacting on the environment, communities and our economy.

In September, before the election, Newsroom reported Christopher Luxon had pledged that if elected, he would put a Climate Minister in Cabinet . . . but he has not.

Also, he has said a National-led Government will meet New Zealand’s emissions targets by super-charging renewable energy projects and unlocking new technology to reduce agricultural emissions. It seems National does have a plan.

Simon Watts believes in looking overseas for bold climate policies.

The big news is Fonterra has partnered with Nestlé to develop the country’s first net zero carbon emissions dairy farm. The “Net Zero Milk” project looks to increase awareness and adoption of low-carbon techniques and technologies. This seems a lot like greenwashing to me.

Industrial agriculture always downplays its climate damage. There are so many different claims and metrics that consumers have little-to-no assurance that a “carbon neutral” or “net zero” claim means what it says. I reckon it’s best to eat more foods that are low carbon to begin with, like a healthy and sustainable diet with mostly nutrient-rich plants on your plate.

Although New Zealand’s share of global GHG emissions seems small, our gross emissions per person are exceedingly high. Agriculture produces nearly half the country’s greenhouse gases, and Fonterra has taken out the top spot for the third year running, followed by the three biggest petrol retailers. New Zealand remains the 5th highest emitter per capita in the OECD.

Under the Labour Government, in May 2022 New Zealand/Aotearoa released its first emissions reduction plan, outlining a series of policies and incentives to decarbonise all sectors. New Zealand has a target of net zero emissions by 2050 enshrined in law, under the Zero Carbon Act, but short-term policies cannot do it. It relies on the mitigation potential of offsets in the land use and forestry sector, both within and outside our borders, to meet its 2030 target. Maybe they were unlikely to succeed.

I fear this National-led coalition Government, with low-priority climate change attitudes, is even less likely to succeed.

This makes it even more important that Simon Watts represents New Zealand/Aotearoa in Dubai, beyond the issue of climate change itself — as a valuable initial networking and relationship-forming opportunity.