Climate policy out today

The Government will release its preferred policy package on managing climate change today.

It would be welcomed by reasonable people, Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday.

The international protocol was drawn up in 1997, designed to reduce and control the amount of greenhouse gases, believed by many to affect the world's climate.

If it is ratified by enough countries, it will come into force with binding effect in 2008.

Unions, employers and some other political parties have raised concerns that moves such as taxes on pollution would stifle economic growth and lead to job losses.

Those fears were heightened by some of New Zealand's major trading partners - such as the United States - refusing to sign the agreement.

Helen Clark said the policy package to be released at midday would be pragmatic. "I think it would be a most unreasonable person who said that all due care had not been taken."

Though the policy package could not be considered as being watered down, "the Government always had in mind a preferred policy position which was consistent with economic growth and development and meeting Kyoto commitment. We don't see the two in contradiction".

Energy Minister Pete Hodgson, who is in charge of the climate change project, will front the release.

In February Mr Hodgson released a national interest assessment of the Kyoto protocols.

The assessment was that as a climate-dependent, primary-producing country with significant populations in coastal areas, climate change presented a significant risk.

Disadvantages could include slower economic growth.

Under the protocol, New Zealand would have to reduce emissions to 1990 levels over five years from 2008 to 2012. At present, emissions are about 10 per cent above 1990 levels.

- NZPA

nzherald.co.nz/climate

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

United Nations Environment Program

World Meteorological Organisation

Framework Convention on Climate Change

Executive summary: Climate change impacts on NZ

IPCC Summary: Climate Change 2001