More Reasons To Take It Slow, Urges Business Roundtable
April 29th, 2009
The Business Roundtable continues to argue against market mechanisms and in favour of a tax to control NZ’s carbon emissions, and says new information gives NZ breathing space on new climate change policy. The discovery NZ now appears to have a net carbon surplus in the first Kyoto commitment period, rather than the previously anticipated deficit, is one reason NZ doesn’t have to hurry, since there is now none of the previous assumption that the taxpayer would need to meet a shortfall.
The Rountable’s executive director, Roger Kerr says the slow progress of international climate change talks and the likelihood Governments will worry more about short term economic recovery than climate change in coming months is a further reason for NZ not to set the pace on climate change action. With the Rudd Govt making no decisions until after the Copenhagen climate change talks in December, NZ should follow Aust and certainly not try to do better than Aust, which is a wealthier, more resilient economy.
However, environmental analysts are arguing Aust’s climate change targets are unambitious already, reflecting the generous terms on which Aust entered the Kyoto Protocol in 1990. As a result, Aust is already well behind other countries’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an inappropriate benchmark for NZ policy.
Copyright © Media Information Ltd
NZ Energy & Environment Business Week
Amalgamated Dairies