Climate Change Commission Consultation Submissions

Earlier this month, we submitted on the Climate Change Commission’s Consultation on:

  • Draft advice on the fourth emissions budget (2036-2040);

  • Review of the 2050 emissions reduction target;

  • Review of whether emissions from international shipping and aviation should be included in the 2050 target.

As a general comment, we were overall supportive of the approach taken by the Commission across all three consultation documents.

We share the Commission’s concerns that Aotearoa New Zealand is not contributing its fair share to the global effort to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels - which is what we’ve committed to under the Paris Agreement. New Zealand must play its part as the window of opportunity for averting the worst consequences of the climate crisis is rapidly shrinking.

As the United Nations Secretary General said earlier this month:

“The truth is… almost ten years since the Paris Agreement was adopted, the target of limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is hanging by a thread.
…

the world is spewing emissions so fast that by 2030, a far higher temperature rise would be all but guaranteed.

…

the battle for 1.5 degrees will be won or lost in the 2020s – under the watch of leaders today. “

We think that the Commission’s recommendations with respect to the Fourth Emissions Budget fall short, as we consider the Commission continues to err in law by not grappling with the purpose of emissions budgets to contribute to the global effort to limit warming to 1.5°C and in failing to use UNFCCC/GHGI net/inventory accounting. This is what our ongoing judicial review of some of the Climate Change Commission’s earlier advice concerns.

However, we generally are supportive of the Commission’s recommendation for a more ambition 2050 target, for a fourth emissions budget that recognises the importance of reducing emissions at source (rather than relying too heavily on forestry removals and offsets), and to incorporate international aviation and shipping emissions into the 2050 target.

LCANZI