Earth Equity News

November Election in New Zealand Threatens to Undermine Climate Initiatives. By Adrian Bathgate, Reuters, September 15, 2008. "If [New Zealand] PM Helen Clark loses a national election on November 8… a National government would likely give key industry sectors more time to reduce emissions… The climate change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) bill, [the first such legislation passed outside Europe]… scheduled to start in 2009, would [survive, but] face a host of amendments if the opposition National party, which leads the government in opinion polls, takes office… Labor has said it wants New Zealand, an agricultural-based economy with a 'clean, green' international reputation, to be carbon neutral by 2050. But the National party has said it would abandon the government's carbon-neutral policy, aiming for only a 50% reduction in emissions from 1999 levels. It's more incremental and it's saying New Zealand should be in the middle of the pack, rather than at the head of the pack,' said Matthew Andrew, head of the Asia Pacific law firm Minter Ellison's climate change group in Wellington, on Friday."