Govt fails to provide climate-friendly choices

The John Key Government has failed to provide climate-friendly choices to help households avoid the higher costs that could result from their Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), said the Green Party today.

“The point of a price on carbon is to encourage consumers to make purchases that won’t contribute to climate change, but the Government needs to ensure that those options are provided,” said Dr Russel Norman, Co-leader of the Green Party and spokesperson on Climate Change.

Dr Norman said that Government policies in transport, electricity and energy efficiency undermined the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by limiting climate-friendly choices to consumers.

“The New Zealand Transport Agency recently introduced a new policy that has resulted in bus and train fare hikes, making it harder for commuters to reduce car use.

“In addition, John Key’s Government has wasted tax payer money on pet motorways, rather than investing in smart, climate-friendly options like better buses and trains, or improving walking and cycling,” said Dr Norman.

“This means many people still have little choice but to take the car to work, even though petrol will be more expensive.”

Dr Norman said the Government had abandoned the goal of making the New Zealand electricity system 90% renewable by 2025 — a goal that the Electricity Commission found was very affordable. This would make it harder for consumers to choose low carbon electricity so they would end up paying more for electricity.

“This Government has no policy supporting energy efficiency. They repealed mandatory fuel efficiency standards on new cars and have failed to move towards mandatory home energy ratings.

“The easiest way for consumers to reduce their power and fuel bills under the ETS is to switch to more energy efficient transport, homes and appliances. But the Government is failing to ensure that these options are provided.

“The only forward-looking policy has been the home insulation scheme, which the Greens got going under the last Government, and managed to get in the Budget last year,” said Dr Norman.