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NZEALAND-CLIMATE-EMERGENCY
New Zealand’s Ardern declares ‘climate emergency’
WELLINGTON, Dec 2, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern declared a “climate emergency” on Wednesday, telling parliament that
urgent action was needed for the sake of future generations.
Ardern said the science on climate change was clear and New Zealand had to
acknowledge the threat.
The centre-left leader said the challenges posed by global warming meant
parliament’s declaration — an act undertaken by more than a dozen other
countries — was warranted.
“In those cases where we do issue declarations, it is often where there is
a threat to life, a threat to property, and civil defence emergencies,” she
told parliament.
“If we do not respond to climate change, we will continue to have these
emergencies on our shores.”
Lawmakers passed the largely symbolic emergency declaration by 76 votes to
43 after Ardern urged them to back the move.
“Vote in favour of this declaration, be on the right side of history, be
part of the solution we must collectively deliver for the next generation,”
she said.
Britain’s parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate
emergency, passing the motion in May last year, followed closely by Ireland.
According to The Climate Mobilisation, a US lobby group pushing for such
declarations, more than a dozen nations have followed suit, along with 1,800
local authorities in cities and towns globally.
The group argues that such declarations represent a critical first step in
acknowledging the scale of the climate challenge and will spur action towards
reversing global warming.
New Zealand’s centre-right opposition National Party rejected the climate
emergency declaration, labelling it “virtue signalling”.
“It can do harm in making people think that by declaring an emergency
something has happened, when it hasn’t,” National leader Judith Collins told
Radio New Zealand.
“It’s quite false and misleading.”
Ardern last year committed New Zealand to become carbon neutral by 2050 and
to generate all its energy from renewable sources by 2035.
She has also halted all new offshore oil and gas exploration in New Zealand
waters.
However, critics say that Ardern’s government has not done enough to
enhance New Zealand’s “clean, green” reputation since she took office in 2017
after campaigning strongly on environmental issues.
Climate Action Tracker — a science-led independent assessment service —
rates New Zealand’s climate policies “insufficient” to meet its goals under
the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Greenpeace noted Ardern’s 2050 carbon-neutral pledge specifically excluded
one of New Zealand’s major greenhouse gas sources, methane, to protect the
lucrative agricultural sector.
Greenpeace campaigner Kate Simcock said Ardern’s action on climate did not
match her rhetoric.
“When the house is on fire, there’s no point hitting the alarm without
fighting the fire as well,” she said.
“Fighting the fire in New Zealand means tackling agricultural emissions.”
BSS/AFP/MSY/1027 hrs