KEY POINTS:
Big business in New Zealand must be rubbing its hands. Its plea to MPs has succeeded: "Don't take any action on climate change, or if you do, subsidise us enough so we don't feel it."
It's hard to think of a message more out of step with the
values of ordinary New Zealanders.
Climate change is the world's greatest collective challenge. The recent cyclone in Myanmar demonstrates starkly the damage and suffering caused by extreme weather events. Expect more of these events in coming years, and expect them to be more extreme if we don't take action to deal to their root cause. Despite this ticking clock, we've seen an orchestrated attempt by big business to scuttle proposed climate policies. Many aren't happy to see their polluting plans challenged, including state-owned polluters like Genesis Energy, Solid Energy and the farming lobby.
One of the most extraordinary aspects of the current emissions trading debate has been watching free-market proponents abandon their principles in favour of protectionism and corporate welfare, rather than carrying their fair share of the costs.
As a result, Labour and National have come under intense pressure to delay, weaken or even scrap proposed climate legislation. Embarrassingly, both have buckled under the pressure.
With each demand from business and every political backtrack, New Zealand loses credibility.
New Zealanders are genuinely concerned about climate change and want action. A recent poll by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development shows most of us - including business decision-makers - think climate change is urgent and needs tackling now. Most think that polluters should pay for their emissions.
Very few back the Government's capitulation to big business pressure. Foot-dragging from business is nothing we haven't seen before. Big polluting businesses have always been averse to anything that's going to cost them money in the short term, even if the long-term benefits are immeasurable and in the long-term interests of all New Zealanders.
In 2005, the Government proposed a carbon tax. Business leaders promptly tossed their toys out of the cot and the tax was canned. Three years later, they're doing it again over the emissions trading scheme.
Take the agricultural sector. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to droughts, floods and cyclones and if there's one thing we can expect in New Zealand from climate change it's those things.
Furthermore, consumers in key markets for our farm produce are worried about climate; they want to know their suppliers are taking climate change seriously so retailers are working hard to find out for them.
You'd think Federated Farmers would be driving tractors up the steps of Parliament demanding action on climate change. Sadly, the last time we saw a tractor negotiating the steps, National MP Shane Ardern was at the wheel protesting Government efforts to address the problem. The result? Instead of paying for its emissions, New Zealand agriculture is getting a whopping tax-payer subsidy.
Finally, Rio Tinto threatened to pack up and leave New Zealand if the emission trading scheme proceeds. The company - which has received cut-price power for decades - has a habit of threatening to do a runner every time it feels its charmed existence in New Zealand is at risk.
One of its core values is "caring about the world in which we live". Yet it's willing to up sticks and leave New Zealand, firing thousands of loyal employees in the process, and shifting to somewhere where it readily admits its activities will be far more damaging to the climate - all to safeguard its profit margin.
New Zealand has a lot of values it could bring to bear in tackling climate change: resilience, fairness, doing the right thing, being progressive and caring for the environment.
Unfortunately, the face presented by big business is myopic, defensive and uncaring. They are telling the world New Zealand is not serious about tackling climate change. The rest of New Zealand knows we can do better.
* Bunny McDiarmid is executive director of Greenpeace NZ.