Climate change minister James Shaw said the bill, which commits New Zealand to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees, provided a framework for the island country of nearly 5 million to adapt too, and prepare for the climate emergency.
“We’ve led the world before in nuclear disarmament and in votes for women, now we are leading again.” Shaw said.
“Climate change is the defining long-term issue of our generation that successive governments have failed to address. Today we take a significant step forward in our plan to reduce New Zealand’s emissions.”
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern told MPs New Zealand was on the “right side of history”. She said: “I absolutely believe and continue to stand by the statement that climate change is the biggest challenge of our time.
What a shame that bipartisan co-operation has become the exception rather than the rule. Clearly, the world needs more New Zealand.
New Zealand, barring some major resource discovery, is no petro-state. They're not Canada. We are on of the top ten major emitters in total emissions. The graph depicted here illustrates this. https://www.wri.org/blog/2014/11/6-graphs-explain-world-s-top-10-emitters
ReplyDeleteWhat's important to bear in mind is that, by population, we are minuscule compared the the other top 10 emitters. When it comes to contaminating the environment we are punching massively above our own weight. Cursor down that page to the graph showing per capita emissions. That's even worse.
The world's major petro-economies, Canada included, are signing death warrants for untold numbers of people around the world. We know this. It's irrefutable. Yet how many Liberals and Conservatives today simply turn their heads, look the other way? There are only two parties to have governed this country. It's on them. It's on us.
There are far too many politicians who pander to people's desire to have their cake and eat it too, Mound. That may be good for careers but very, very bad for the rest of us. Ms. Ardern has talked about being a role model for others; there are few apt pupil willing to take the lesson, however.
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