NZ negotiators at the UN climate talks in Bonn have let slip that the government is planning “public consultation” on the emissions targets the country will set. David Williams at The Press broke the story yesterday:
New Zealand’s climate change ambassador, Adrian Macey, told a United Nations climate conference in Bonn, Germany, yesterday that New Zealand had been improving data collection and using economic modelling and analysis to help with greenhouse-gas reduction targets. “We are also undertaking a public consultation process,” Macey told the 3000 conference delegates.
This comes as news to most people, but Williams obtained confirmation that consultation was planned from climate minister Nick Smith’s staff:
“The Government will consult with the public prior to setting medium-term targets in August,” the minister’s spokesman said. “No announcements have been made.”
Except to the rest of the world, obviously. Expect the usual suspects to immediately start lobbying for do-nothing targets. Meanwhile, government climate policy continues to look as if it’s being decided on the hoof.
“Meanwhile, government climate policy continues to look as if it’s being decided on the hoof.”
As with every other policy for our “Brighter Future”
I do wonder if J K really has any idea of what it will take to meet his stated target of “50% reduction …. by 2050”.
Or how bad it will look if everyone else achieves 80% by 2050.