Polling shows it’s the second most important issue for voters, after the economy, and a new survey shows 69 per cent of Kiwis are concerned or very concerned about climate change, while only 13 per cent aren’t concerned. Just saying you believe in climate change but not actually doing anything about it isn’t enough anymore.
So, what are the major parties going to offer a voting public that wants them to act on the climate?
They can stop the backsliding, for starters. The Government is currently reviewing the Clean Car Discount – that’s the subsidy on EVs and hybrids, and fees on gas guzzlers. They’re concerned because it has been so successful the subsidies are costing more than the fees are bringing in.
But this is a climate policy that’s working. Two million tonnes of emissions have been avoided by the cars imported since it was introduced. Not to mention cutting our imports of oil from undemocratic countries and saving money at the pump for families.
And voters love it. According to new polling, 65 per cent of voters support it, including most National voters, and only 13 per cent are against it. National supporters even support the fee on gas guzzlers, which National has been calling the “ute tax” for the past five years.
They don’t need to can the subsidies; they need to continue them, so more whānau can switch to electric.
It’s time for the major parties to catch up with the public on climate change, especially National, which is out of step with its own supporters on the issue.
The bogeyman of “going green costs money” doesn’t scare voters anymore. People are willing to see the Government invest money in bringing down emissions – and we know that while the upfront cost of green tech is often higher, it saves money by being cheaper to run.
Hipkins has indicated that he’ll be unveiling some new climate policies at the Budget and says he is still committed to the emissions reduction targets. He’ll have to deliver some programmes that are credible and meaningful, or climate-aware Labour supporters will start to look to the Greens instead, for leadership. There are many things he could do that are both bread-and-butter policies while also reducing greenhouse emissions. For instance, make half-price public transport permanent, subsidise more home insulation retrofits, get more EVs on the road – they all save money as well as cut emissions.
The same goes for National. They might assume that their voters aren’t going to stray to the Greens, but they just have to look across the Ditch to see that’s not true. Well-heeled, suburban mortgage belt voters, who are traditionally key voters for the Liberals have deserted the party in droves because of its lack of credibility on climate change. And they haven’t just gone to Labor, but to the Greens, and the so-called “teal” independents as well. National’s climate-conscious voters want a party that’s serious about climate change but only see Luxon pledging to make it harder to buy an EV and remove subsidies for businesses to get rid of coal boilers. They’ll look somewhere else – like at the Greens.
Labour and National are facing off with each other over the cost of living, but they need to be looking over their shoulders at the Greens, too. If the Greens manage to focus on the growing number of voters who are concerned about climate change and offer ideas that not only save the environment but save them money, there’s a real possibility they’ll suck up a large number of votes from both the big parties.
Rising above the party politics, climate change is simply not an issue we can afford to put on the never-never any longer. We need bold policies and we need them now, to stop the weather from getting even worse.
Shane Te Pou (Ngāi Tūhoe) is a commentator, blogger and former Labour party activist.
