Ōtautahi – New Zealand is ahead of its climate goals on transparency such as targets, budgets, plans, reporting – in both public and private sector.But the country is behind on leadership and consequently on urgency. Kiwis do not see opportunity, only risk and threat from climate action.
Aotearoa elects leaders or support leaders who defer tough climate policies and near term climate action. These leaders have failed to lead, to articulate in a compelling way to support urgent climate action to reduce emissions.
Because New Zealand’s emissions are small, people think it does not matter, so other countries should let us be. This is delusional. Aotearoa’s trading partners do care and will force change on us.
A tonne of emissions is a tonne, whether from New Zealand or China. We think our tonne should count for less than someone else’s. We believe that personally as well as a nation.
We still think the world will allow us to profit from our emissions because we produce food, because we are small, because we are nice people.
In places like Europe the big emitters do not vote such as industrial companies and power stations. In New Zealand half of our emissions come from 23,000 powerful, elite, voters who are used to privatising profits and socialising costs.
When urban Kiwis understand how much more they will have to pay or by how much more they will have to reduce emissions so farmers can continue to pollute for profit, the politics will change.
Agricultural emissions over 10 years will cost the economy each per man, woman and child $5600 over that period or $10.77 per week.
In the meantime Kiwis pollute, plant and procrastinate sending mixed messages to producers, consumers and investors. By or before the end of this decade, voters may no longer trust elected leaders to deliver climate policy.
