.......to provide our houses with low-carbon power – saving the planet looks much more challenging
The Green Party’s co-leaders have grandiose ideas of the political clout they might wield.
The magnitude of their conceit is reflected in the headline on a press statement they released at the weekend:
Saving the planet and saving money, it’s as easy as more Green MPs
More important is a geo-political question: in how many countries must the Greens be elected in sufficient numbers to call the shots on climate policy? The demands of saving the planet – let’s face it – will require something more than deciding what is done in this county alone.
The press statement, as it turned out, was pitched at promoting a comparatively modest Green Party policy:
A new Clean Power Payment will save households up to $1,200 on their energy bills, every year, and slash carbon emissions.
Modest, maybe – but the consequences would be unbelievably massive:
“The Clean Power Payment will save people money and save the planet, with the added benefit of making our homes warmer and healthier. What could be better than that?,” says Green Party co-leader James Shaw.
“People are struggling and the planet is heating at frightening speed. We can and must deal with both challenges at the same time.
“There is a clear answer staring us in the face: warm homes powered by clean, cheap, low-carbon energy, supplied straight from our roofs.”
The Clean Power Payment will cut costs for families while taking the urgent action needed to cut climate emissions and reach net-zero, Shaw said.
“Instead of leaving families to waste money on cold, draughty homes, as successive governments have, the Clean Power Payment will upgrade our homes so they are warm and healthy.
“The Clean Power Payment is as close to a perfect investment as you can get: slashing soaring bills for families, slashing emissions, and creating thousands of good jobs.”
Shaw may well be right when he says most people want action on the climate crisis and action on the cost of living.
Under his party’s plan, people would be able to access grants of up to $6,000 to cover the cost of clean energy upgrades, like putting solar power on their roof, or installing a heat pump. Plus, interest-free loans of up to $30,000 to cover the cost of additional zero carbon home upgrades.
But let’s not under-estimate the enormity of saving the planet. New Zealand’s gross emissions contribute approximately 0.17 per cent of the world’s gross emissions.
Point of Order is somewhat sceptical of the Greens’ electoral prospects in China, a country where the autocratic leaders have a strong disinclination to let political parties compete for the support of the people.
The autocrats have a strong disinclination to tackle climate change, too.
A recent Reuters report headed China avoids climate change discussion despite extreme weather says:
Record heat and historic floods in China this summer have failed to ignite domestic public debate about how the world’s top carbon polluter can mitigate climate change, leaving campaigners frustrated at an opportunity missed.
While state media and officials have said in the past that climate change makes China more vulnerable to extreme weather, few have made the connection this year, and have been even more reluctant to link it to China’s own emissions – now around a third of the global total and rising.
The world’s biggest polluter, in country terms, is the United States.
The Greens’ prospects of winning power in that country to some extent depends on whether former President Donald Trump becomes the Republican candidate for the next presidential elections and how effectively he can campaign if he finishes up behind bars on any of the several charges being brought against him in various courts.
But Point of Order notes a report headed Republican-led backlash over climate change raises concern among European insurers
This report says:
The leaders of Europe’s major insurance companies have raised concerns about the growing political resistance in the United States over aggressive policy steps required to combat climate change. This, the UN-backed group of insurers called the Net Zero Insurance Allia
Republican politicians view environmental activism as detrimental to the oil and gas industry and the broader economy.
And several states, including Florida and Texas, have implemented legislation to discourage environmental, social, and governance investing and financing with target to deter harms on oil and gas industry.
Point of Order suggests there is no need to check out how much muscle the Greens might flex in the other 190 or so countries in the world. It it enough to draw attention to the latest Taxpayers Union poll in this country, which showed:
- National: 34.9%, up 1.6 (44 seats)
- Labour: 27.1%, down 4 (34 seats)
- ACT: 13%, down 0.2 (17 seats)
- Green: 12%, up 3.1 (15 seats)
- NZ First: 5.8%, up 2.5 (seven seats)
- Te Pāti Māori: 2.5%, down 2.5 (three seats)
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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