Government climate change approach too cautious: critics

Climate Change Minister David Parker failed to satisfy his critics when today he announced measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In a speech to the Climate Change Policy Symposium in Wellington today, Mr Parker outlined measures the Government had taken and intended to take - including the possibility of charging for emissions - to tackle the global warming problem.

Mr Parker said New Zealand interests were threatened by climate change and the Government would consider emission trading in future.

"While no decisions have been made the Government does recognise price based measures applied broadly across the economy are likely to form part of the policy mix for the period after 2012."

He said that would be done in step with other countries.

Mr Parker said the Government was soon to establish a Climate Change Advisory Panel and announce measures to reduce emissions in government buildings and its fleet of crown cars.

It also was looking at making fuel efficiency labelling mandatory so consumers had that information when buying a vehicle.

Among recent initiatives were proposals for companies to sell biofuels, incentives for forests to be planted on erosion-prone land and measures to improve energy efficiency of buildings.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said Mr Parker's proposals were progress "but slow progress - it lacks a bit of urgency".

He was most disappointed that putting a tax on carbon was not on the cards.

"It's a bit timid... it's one of the really important things he had to do so there is a market signal around it and he's still not committing to it," Dr Norman said.

"It seems to me until you are willing to do that it is going to be extremely hard to get emissions down."

Dr Norman said the minister missed an opportunity to make an announcement that showed commitment.

"If he was really serious why doesn't he do something like announce that they are just not going to allow Marsden B coal-fired power station go ahead."

Greenpeace campaign manager Cindy Baxter said everyone knew emission reductions were needed but the real test was on action to achieve that.

"But the Government isn't talking targets at all," she said.

Ms Baxter said the comments on price-based measures were a weakening of the Government's previous stance.

"The economic costs of inaction on climate change are never factored into government accounting, and it's time they were," said Baxter.

Last year the Government dumped plans for a carbon tax and has also faced National Party attacks that climate change policies would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Mr Parker's speech preceded the release of an environment policy paper by the National Party's Nick Smith this afternoon.

National widely criticised Labour for ratifying Kyoto ahead of its trading partners - Australia and the United States - and implementing policies that would slow economic growth.

Mr Parker said the pace and extent of New Zealand's response needed to take account of the national interest.

Dr Smith said the speech was vague and lacked progress.

He said the Government had not created policies to seriously attack climate change.

Greenpeace also was "extremely worried" at Mr Parker's cautious approach and concerned New Zealand should be in line with other countries and trading partners.

Mr Parker said New Zealand would also look at creating "links" with the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, whose members included China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the United States.

"I must emphasise that this does not signal a move away from the Kyoto Protocol or emissions reduction targets," Mr Parker said.

- NZPA