A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
As the COP28 UN climate summit nears its end, world governments are still far apart on the central question of whether to phase out fossil fuels. The next few days could be the world’s last chance to keep global heating within safe limits.
COP28 president Sultan Al-Jaber, who has facedcriticism for casting doubt last month on the phasing out of fossil fuels, told a press conference he felt “a sense that something unprecedented is possible to happen here . . .”
Developing countries want to ensure that whatever emerges from the global stocktake acknowledges that rich countries most responsible for emissions must play the biggest role in reducing them.
The same day New Zealand signed an international agreement on sustainable agriculture and food production, our country was dishonoured with the infamous “Fossil of the Day” award because of our Government’s reversal of a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration. This comes with the National-led coalition’s low-priority climate change policies, like placing Climate Minister Simon Watts outside Cabinet. These decisions go against Aotearoa/New Zealand’s past efforts in tackling climate change.
We are a Pacific nation, alongside some of the nations that are most impacted by climate change.
In response to our Fossil of the Day award, Forest & Bird’s Bianca Ranson said: “As tangata moana (ocean people), a Pacific Island nation, Aotearoa New Zealand has a responsibility to make sure decisions are also in the best interests of our Pacific neighbours who are at immediate risk of sea level inundation.”
The National coalition has touted fossil-fuel extraction, loosening deforestation protections, a lower goal for farming and reduced expenditure on bike lanes. National pledged to build 13 new motorways, while coalition partner ACT vowed to repeal the Zero Carbon Act.
This is proof that we have elected ourselves a coalition government that is only marginally interested in climate change. How very disappointing.
