Robin Grieve: Government Climate policies are falling apart

The Government has fallen foul of its own new carbon zero law. The Carbon Zero bill was passed into law by the Labour-NZ First, Greens Government in 2019. It was passed almost unanimously and to wide acclaim. 

The law introduced requirements for the Government to reduce emissions and established the Climate Commission as an independent advisory body. 

The main goal of the legislation was to legally bind both the Climate Commission and the Government to ensure that New Zealand achieves net-zero emissions by 2050. Making emission reduction a legal obligation of the Government was the key to its success they said because it would bypass the political obstacles of the day. However, the Minister of Climate Change James Shaw is discovering that it is not as straightforward as he thought it would be.

NZCPR Weekly: The Politics of Zero Carbon

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we explain why the National Party should oppose the Zero Carbon Bill in the third reading debate tomorrow afternoon and we urge all readers who do not agree with Jacinda Ardern’s extremism to contact National MPs to encourage them to vote against the Bill, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Robin Grieve explains how the Zero Carbon Bill will derail our economy, and our poll asks whether you agree with National MP Judith Collins – who plans to vote against the Bill – that there’s a major ‘reality gap’ in the debate on global warming.

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A Tiger by the Tail

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we look at the huge influence that climate activism is having in New Zealand – including threatening our economic security, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Anthony Willy explains why the stance taken by one of the country’s main media companies in banning any challenge to their alarmism over climate change is so misguided, and our poll asks whether you have confidence in the New Zealand media when it comes to reporting climate change.

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NZCPR Submission: Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill

Public submissions on the Government’s disastrous Zero Carbon close tomorrow, Tuesday the 16th of July – see HERE. 

We recommend that anyone concerned about the long term consequences for New Zealand of this Bill send in a submission – even a simple one – opposing it. The larger the number of opposing submissions, the more likely the Government is to listen – so please spread the message. 

You can see the submission submitted by the NZCPR below.

Barry Brill: Climate Scare Could Be Gone By 2030

  

The New Zealand Government’s published modelling for its Carbon Zero Bill estimates a wealth loss of $200-300 billion over 30+ years of ‘blood toil tears and sweat’ to increase New Zealand’s 2050 net emissions reduction target from 50% to 100%.

The NZIER report is at pains to say that its modelling “should not be seen as a cost-benefit analysis”, nor a prediction of what will happen in future. It is merely the calculated outcome of certain assumptions – key ones being (a) there will be no exogenous technological change and (b) the following things would happen as “business as usual” (BAU)^[1] without policy changes:

•    electric vehicles will reach 65% of the fleet by 2050;

•    a methane vaccine will be available from 2030;

•    unidentified innovations will deliver a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050;

•    the ‘rest of the world’ will take strong action on climate

Barry Brill: Climate-wise – We Are The Champions!

All climate policy lobbyists worldwide see the word “leader” as being the holy grail. It is used in a quantitative  and competitive sense as in “country X is now in the lead” or “country Y is the clear leader”. Achieving leadership is positioned as a much-desired vanity project.

So who is the current gold medallist in the climate policy stakes?

New Zealand has fancied itself for some time. Back in 2008 then Prime Minister Helen Clarke declared: “New Zealand is now a world leader in its action programme on climate change. Labour will keep it that way.”

Barry Brill: 2050 - Costs vs Benefits

The fundamental question raised by the 2050 zero carbon proposal can be put simply: Is selecting that year worth the price? Or, is the proposed cure worse than the disease?

Governments and corporations everywhere answer similar questions all the time by cost-benefit analyses. But climate policy is an exception. No cost-benefit study of any kind is included in the 160-page Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) that accompanies the ‘Zero Carbon Bill’. 

We have a Government modelling estimate that the economic losses will amount to a massive $300 billion or about $20,000 per household. Is that a fair share?  Our current gross emissions are about 28 metric tonnes per household, so the modelled price might be slightly over $1,000 for each tonne reduced. Is that reasonable value for money? Are more cost-effective methods available?

NZCPR Weekly: The Controversial Zero Carbon Bill

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we investigate the far-reaching implications of the Government’s controversial Zero Carbon Bill and encourage any concerned New Zealander to send in a submission, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Bryan Leyland outlines how the Government is ignoring its obligation under the Paris Climate Accord not to threaten food production through its attack on agricultural emissions, and our poll asks whether you agree with the Government that Maori interests should be exempted from the impact of the Zero Carbon Bill.

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NZCPR Weekly: Climate Change Hysteria

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we examine the Government’s radical Zero Carbon Bill in the context of the growing rejection of climate change hysteria around the world, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Barry Brill shares his analysis of what he believes is an extremely dangerous Bill, and our poll asks whether you believe National should support or oppose Labour’s Zero Carbon Bill.

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Bob Edlin: The climate change challenge - leading the charge has cost-of-living implications

Climate change zealots who press for New Zealand to lead the charge globally in reaching a zero carbon target appear to be not too bothered by the cuts in living standards New Zealanders would have to absorb.

According to the most optimistic technology scenario used by the NZIER, there would be a $6.7bn reduction in annual GDP – and if lower levels of innovation are achieved, in areas such as forestry planting, methane vaccines for livestock and mass electricification of transport and industry, the annual loss rises to $26.6bn.

And what if the sacrifices made by NZ – that is, the reduction made in domestic emissions – are counteracted by a rise in emissions elsewhere as domestic product is replaced by imports?

Steven Cranston: NZ should lead on smart agricultural emission accounting

The Zero Carbon Bill is an opportunity for New Zealand to lead the world on smart agricultural emissions policy. James Shaw has regularly touted his wish to see our country as international leaders on climate change and is trying to break new ground by bringing biological emissions into the ETS. To be leaders however, we must look forward and not backwards.

The issues with the current Global Warming Potential (GWP) accounting system for methane are now widely publicised and understood. Anyone who cares to investigate the origins of GWP accounting will find it was actually created by a group of climate scientists to demonstrate the flaws in comparing short and long-lived greenhouse gases. To their surprise, the IPCC saw things differently and adopted it as the international standard. So although GWP is now the accepted way to compare different GHG emissions, people should not be fooled into thinking it got there on scientific merit.

Jim Rose: Zero-carbon economy may not be worth the cost

Before we decide if a zero-carbon economy by 2050 is worth the cost, we must know what the damage to our economy from global warming will be if we do nothing. Only then will we know how important and urgent action on global warming really is.

Estimates of the cost of global warming as a percentage of GDP to New Zealand are elusive. I drew a nil response when I asked for that information from James Shaw, the Minister for Climate Change, and from the Ministry for the Environment. Both said such an estimate was too hard to calculate.

NZCPR Weekly: Killing Our Economy

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we highlight the devastating impact that the Zero Carbon Bill would have on our economy and we encourage readers to have their say by engaging in the consultation process, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Michael Reddell shares his analysis of the Government’s economic modelling on their zero-carbon proposal and expresses his concerns, and our poll asks whether you support the Government’s plan to significantly reduce the material wellbeing of New Zealanders through their Zero Carbon Bill.

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