Editorial: Why we're all in the same electric car together, rounding the climate curve

A driver plugs a charger into his Tesla in Los Angeles. Experts expect most new cars sold in 2030 to be electric. The Biden Administration has promised 550,000 charging stations. Photo / AP file

Opinion

EDITORIAL:
The Climate Change Commission's report lays out a steep path to climb for New Zealand to meet greenhouse gas targets.

We will hardly be taking the journey alone - the same scenarios face other countries around the warming planet.

The changes aim to combat climate disasters including those involving bush fires, flooding, and heatwaves. A record 30 storms ravaged the Atlantic last year, including six hurricanes with winds of 178 km/h or more. Horrendous fires hit Australia and California.

There are specifics relevant to individual countries. Here, our farming and forestry industries, and love of getting out on the roads, are highlighted.

But the fact that everyone is in the same electric car will help New Zealand's drive to achieve it.

All the major economic blocs - the United States, Europe, China and other Asian powers - recognise this moment as part two of the industrial revolution. All want to dominate the green economy.

That will help the Government push the case for changes and will mean multinational companies will be creating products to be used in dealing with harmful impacts and ways of reducing warming.

It's important that Kiwis realise that changes will be happening globally as they contemplate what the report envisions for some sectors here.

The Government charged the commission with discovering if New Zealand's climate commitments were in sync with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The analysis says New Zealand would fall millions of tonnes short of targets unless current climate change policies are ramped up.

The commission advises ending coal heating, more forestry, and energy-saving homes. It says jobs will go in the coal mining and oil and gas industries, but will increase in the "development of biofuels and hydrogen, and in deploying and supporting new technologies".

New Zealand would need to slash livestock numbers, switch from conventional car imports to electric vehicles, and decarbonise our energy in under 15 years.

New Zealand's livestock numbers will have to be slashed by 15 per cent by 2030. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It sounds like a big ask, but think of just a few of the technological changes that have occurred over the past 20 years: iPads and iPhones, Skype, Facebook, YouTube, 3D scans, Android, Instagram, Uber, Tesla, video streaming, lifestyle drones, Slack and Snapchat.

People adapt to constant change and new realities. And important developments are well under way globally.

Falling prices for wind, solar and batteries, mean carbon goals will work out cheaper than previously feared.

Last year, for the first time, the European Union and Britain got more electricity from renewables (38 and 42 per cent) than fossil fuels. Renewables provided about 15 per cent of electricity to the EU in 2000.

General Motors said last week that it is aiming to go all-electric as of 2035 for light vehicles. AP reports that US experts expect most new cars sold in 2030 to be electric and new United States President Joe Biden has promised 550,000 charging stations. His plans include an all-electric federal fleet of vehicles and doubling America's offshore wind energy.

Of the proposed changes here, the overhaul of New Zealand's agriculture would seem to have the most impact on the country's way of life, culture and traditions.

US climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, of the Breakthrough Institute, says: "There's no silver bullet for agriculture. There's no solar panels for cows so to speak, apart from meat alternatives, but even there you have challenges around consumer acceptance."

He likens the road trip to a carbonless economy as one that started about 15 years ago.

"The road has been pretty smooth so far. It gets rougher ahead."