New Zealand passes law aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050

 

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds a news conference on the sidelines during the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019. REUTERS/Yana Paskova

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand has placed itself on the right side of history in the battle against climate change, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday, after lawmakers adopted a measure to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

 

Thursday's framework enshrines in law the new 2050 greenhouse gas reduction target and makes it a legally binding objective to keep global warming below a rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius forecast by the United Nations.

 

"Today, we have made a choice that I am proud of," Ardern told parliament. "I hope it means the next generation will see that we...were on the right side of history."

 

The bill, spearheaded by her center-left Labour-led coalition government, was passed with cross party support from the main opposition National Party, despite changes promised by the latter if it wins the next election in 2020.

 

The bill accords different treatment to methane emissions from animals versus other greenhouse gases, but still targets a cut of 10% in biological methane by 2030, and up to 47% by 2050.

 

"This...is the centerpiece for meaningful climate change action in New Zealand," said Minister for Climate Change James Shaw, the leader of the Green party, which is in coalition with Ardern's Labour.

 

Lawmakers had received 11,000 submissions and heard from a cross-section of society, from students and scientists to farmers and activists, Shaw added.

 

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-07

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They going to go back to the horse and cart days then.zero  emissions  is impossible try asking Thais to do that too with the burning and anything else every year

Just now, bristolgeoff said:

They going to go back to the horse and cart days then.zero  emissions  is impossible try asking Thais to do that too with the burning and anything  every year

They are not going back to the horse and cart and why would anyone in NZ ask stubble burners in Thailand?

No cars, no aeroplanes, & etc.

 

10% in biological methane....?

So not only is the gubmint going to force people to eat less beef, are they going to limit farting too?

 

Pie-in-the-sky target, unachievable in 30 years, but it looks good. That's the important thing.

 

Meanwhile, China does nuffink....

 

 

Passed by a bunch of ......…...…… ( insert words of choice ). National will be the biggest losers out of this farce as they all voted for it, including the lying ......…...….... ( insert words of choice ) that said she wouldn't.

Anyway, now they've made the climate change minister the most powerful man in NZ, we can only wait to see what stupidities he comes up with.

If he hits us in the wallet, it might just see the end of labour government next year- here's hoping. MAGA.

 

How can a bunch of supposedly educated people vote to make NZ carbon zero in 30 years- it's impossible.

Mind you, if he bans domestic air travel, and builds loads of passenger trains, I'd support that. No chance domestic air travel will be cancelled though as how else are the hypocrites going to get to parliament on time?

They all know that none of them will be still in parliament in 30 years, so they probably don't care that it will be a complete fail. It's all about virtue signalling.

 

Perhaps NZ will be joining Hong Kong and Chile and having "protests" in the streets in a short while. It's possible if they go too far. NZ people are pretty docile, but even a worm turns. The farmers have had an absolute gutsful of this government. They are "mad as hell, and are not going to take it anymore". This may be the bridge too far for the government.

Maybe because they see we have no choice I’m sure it will evolve and thankyou NZ for having the courage to lead the way hopefully we will learn to make the Change and learn how together.use the dinosaur juce for the important things like international travel and industrial products use renewables were possible in the short term and more so as we change over and please someone invent a good battery so renewables are more attractive that’s the key imo

17 minutes ago, Tug said:

Maybe because they see we have no choice I’m sure it will evolve and thankyou NZ for having the courage to lead the way hopefully we will learn to make the Change and learn how together.use the dinosaur juce for the important things like international travel and industrial products use renewables were possible in the short term and more so as we change over and please someone invent a good battery so renewables are more attractive that’s the key imo

So it's up to a country that contributes less than 1% of greenhouse gas to lead the way while everyone else carries on as normal?

It's not even possible to do what they say they want to do. China must be laughing fit to bust as they see the west destroy itself with stupidities like this piece of ill conceived virtue signalling.

 

BTW, people still buying petrol powered cars, buying houses on the beach, flying domestic- nothing's changed.

It's only in the parliamentary bubble of nonsense that this sort of thing is taken seriously.

I know not a single person that believes in it.

24 minutes ago, Tug said:

please someone invent a good battery so renewables are more attractive that’s the key imo

Batteries are a dead end. They are polluting to make, take too long to charge and polluting to dispose of. Hydrogen fuel cells are the answer.

NZ is a great Nation. Even Stickperson went back home. He is a visionary.

Socialism is progressing well in NZ. They tell you what you cannot watch on the internet; they grow government; and then they take your guns away to stifle your dissent.

Following the usual format it seems.

Is it no wonder that so many NZers live in OZ. (which tends to pander too much socialism itself)

Gawd.

 

Do none of you blokes understand the meaning of ‘net’???

2 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Socialism is progressing well in NZ. They tell you what you cannot watch on the internet; they grow government; and then they take your guns away to stifle your dissent.

Following the usual format it seems.

Is it no wonder that so many NZers live in OZ. (which tends to pander too much socialism itself)

Must be why all the libertarian nut bags are all buying up property there and wangling citizenship and residency.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/15/why-silicon-valley-billionaires-are-prepping-for-the-apocalypse-in-new-zealand

25 minutes ago, samran said:

Gawd.

 

Do none of you blokes understand the meaning of ‘net’???

No. Why don't you explain it for us.

24 minutes ago, samran said:

Must be why all the libertarian nut bags are all buying up property there and wangling citizenship and residency.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/15/why-silicon-valley-billionaires-are-prepping-for-the-apocalypse-in-new-zealand

Because they are stupid?

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Lawmakers had received 11,000 submissions and heard from a cross-section of society, from students and scientists to farmers and activists, Shaw added.

and apparently disregarded any of them that disagreed with the outcome they wanted.

Certainly didn't take any advice from farmers, but they apparently hate farmers.

41 minutes ago, samran said:

Must be why all the libertarian nut bags are all buying up property there and wangling citizenship and residency.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/15/why-silicon-valley-billionaires-are-prepping-for-the-apocalypse-in-new-zealand

They are not libertarian. They are liberals. 

 

Edit: this is an article about Peter Thiel. I think he is the exception in the Silicon Valey. It's true that many doomsday prepper see New Zealand as an ideal location. 

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Passed by a bunch of ......…...…… ( insert words of choice ). National will be the biggest losers out of this farce as they all voted for it, including the lying ......…...….... ( insert words of choice ) that said she wouldn't.

Anyway, now they've made the climate change minister the most powerful man in NZ, we can only wait to see what stupidities he comes up with.

If he hits us in the wallet, it might just see the end of labour government next year- here's hoping. MAGA.

 

How can a bunch of supposedly educated people vote to make NZ carbon zero in 30 years- it's impossible.

Mind you, if he bans domestic air travel, and builds loads of passenger trains, I'd support that. No chance domestic air travel will be cancelled though as how else are the hypocrites going to get to parliament on time?

They all know that none of them will be still in parliament in 30 years, so they probably don't care that it will be a complete fail. It's all about virtue signalling.

 

Perhaps NZ will be joining Hong Kong and Chile and having "protests" in the streets in a short while. It's possible if they go too far. NZ people are pretty docile, but even a worm turns. The farmers have had an absolute gutsful of this government. They are "mad as hell, and are not going to take it anymore". This may be the bridge too far for the government.

Your rambling have gone a bit off track.

 

What was the point of wandering off on a tour around Hong Kong and Chile?

 

 

8 hours ago, faraday said:

No cars, no aeroplanes, & etc.

 

10% in biological methane....?

So not only is the gubmint going to force people to eat less beef, are they going to limit farting too?

 

Pie-in-the-sky target, unachievable in 30 years, but it looks good. That's the important thing.

 

Meanwhile, China does nuffink....

 

 

Perhaps pie in the sky... but hey, go big, right? Aim high. Etc etc.

 

meanwhile.... it’s worrying to see folk are using China as the definers of standards in international politics.... There used to be an Uncle to look too, for that...  Oh for the good old days

7 minutes ago, jany123 said:

Perhaps pie in the sky... but hey, go big, right? Aim high. Etc etc.

 

meanwhile.... it’s worrying to see folk are using China as the definers of standards in international politics.... There used to be an Uncle to look too, for that...  Oh for the good old days

It's not aiming high; it is an impossible target.

 

The xr faction, just seem to want to protest, make silly - yes, silly proposals, & adopt odd names. Zion Lights, for example.

 

AHH yes, the Good Old Days, how I miss a lard sandwich for breakfast before going up the chimley of the local gentry's mansion. Still, at least I was making their home carbon neutral....

4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Your rambling have gone a bit off track.

 

What was the point of wandering off on a tour around Hong Kong and Chile?

 

 

Perhaps you didn't actually read my post, but I said

4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Perhaps NZ will be joining Hong Kong and Chile and having "protests" in the streets in a short while. It's possible if they go too far. NZ people are pretty docile, but even a worm turns.

I was using the protests in Chile and Hong Kong as an example of what may happen in NZ if this government stuffs us up too much.

 

Clear enough?

42 minutes ago, rhyddid said:

Excellent move, but shall be done much earlier 2050 its very far as well never know some other governament will replace or postphone the law.

I'd say there is a very high possibility that a different government will amend or dump the law entirely. Even the National party claims that they will change it, though National faces being evicted at the next election as people are pretty angry at them. ACT might be in if they can use this cleverly to gain support.

I'd be bold enough to have an opinion that no farmer supports this bill.

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Because they are stupid?

Is that net or gross stupidity? 

5 minutes ago, samran said:

Is that net or gross stupidity? 

I had to go back and look that up.

They are just stupid if they think NZ is a safe refuge after the apocalypse. If it isn't affected by the apocalypse per se it will be inundated with rich people fleeing, and they won't be queuing tidily.

They might even not be able to find any servants to cater for their every whim. The horror, the horror.

 

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I had to go back and look that up.

They are just stupid if they think NZ is a safe refuge after the apocalypse. If it isn't affected by the apocalypse per se it will be inundated with rich people fleeing, and they won't be queuing tidily.

They might even not be able to find any servants to cater for their every whim. The horror, the horror.

 

When the time comes. I’m sure I’ll find you at the top of One Tree Hill shouting for a call to arms against the foreign tech hoards. 

Might seem like an ambitious target, but 30 years ago no-one in the UK would have believed that by now renewable sources would provide more of our electricity than coal or gas. Even China is investing massively in renewable energy. A country like New Zealand, with a low population and plenty of land, has a lot of potential to achieve this. The UK has halved it's CO2 emissions in the last 45 years, when most of that time it was not even a priority. 

 

Some people just believe all the negative claims put out. Net zero may be hard to achieve, but 80-90% reductions are quite feasible with current technology. Who knows what can be achieved with another 30 years of research and refinement.

NZ a beautiful country. South Island very pristine. They take the settled science very seriously. I remember when they denied entry to US ships because they did not allow nuclear ships to dock and the US wouldnt say if the ships were nuclear powered or not. So NZ denied them.

 

They are very strong minded when it comes to all things climate related. Good on them, leading the way again.

 

 

On 11/8/2019 at 9:05 PM, samran said:

When the time comes. I’m sure I’ll find you at the top of One Tree Hill shouting for a call to arms against the foreign tech hoards. 

Given how much I loathe Auckland, that is highly unlikely. Far as I'm concerned they can have Auckland, but no further south than the Bombays.

22 hours ago, rickudon said:

Might seem like an ambitious target, but 30 years ago no-one in the UK would have believed that by now renewable sources would provide more of our electricity than coal or gas. Even China is investing massively in renewable energy. A country like New Zealand, with a low population and plenty of land, has a lot of potential to achieve this. The UK has halved it's CO2 emissions in the last 45 years, when most of that time it was not even a priority. 

 

Some people just believe all the negative claims put out. Net zero may be hard to achieve, but 80-90% reductions are quite feasible with current technology. Who knows what can be achieved with another 30 years of research and refinement.

NZ has the potential to generate all of it's electricity from hydro, but the nutters in parliament won't allow new hydro stations to be built.

Couldn't make it up.

21 hours ago, Sujo said:

NZ a beautiful country. South Island very pristine. They take the settled science very seriously. I remember when they denied entry to US ships because they did not allow nuclear ships to dock and the US wouldnt say if the ships were nuclear powered or not. So NZ denied them.

 

They are very strong minded when it comes to all things climate related. Good on them, leading the way again.

 

 

Don't include all NZers in that. MANY of us do not believe the "settled science". It's just MPs and some of the people in cities. It's just Jacinda and the Greens dragging the rest of us along unwillingly. Hopefully she's gone next year. MAGA

 

I was actually in NZ when Labour stopped the nuclear ships, which was a political action against nuclear weapons and nothing to do with saving the planet or anything like that.