Greenpeace says that the New Zealand Government has lost its last shred of climate credibility in light of its withdrawal from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance – a global first.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says, “This is a Government that is refusing to invest in a safe and livable future. Luxon has made an unconscionable decision with no thought for the implications on our kids’ and grandkids’ futures.”
“From choosing to reverse the oil and gas ban, to offering up $200 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, it’s clear that Luxon can’t be trusted to make decisions on climate change.
“Abandoning the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance is like withdrawing your investments in smartphones to back fax machines instead. These are not serious people.”
Larsson says that there is a growing risk that the Government’s reversal of climate change policies will result in backlash from New Zealand’s trading partners, citing advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that said that repealing the ban on offshore oil and gas was likely to breach New Zealand’s free trade deals with the UK and European Union.
Additionally, Member of the European Parliament Saskia Bricmont has asked questions of the European Trade Commissioner about the impacts of New Zealand’s regressive climate policies on the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement – specifically, the move to revise New Zealand’s methane emissions target in line with the controversial concept of ‘no additional warming’.
“The Luxon Government is bending over backwards for two of the most polluting industries in the world – the intensive livestock industry, and the fossil fuel industry,” says Larsson.
“They are turning New Zealand into a laughing stock on the global stage as they continue to let polluters write policies that harm regular people.
“Already, international climate scientists have called out the Prime Minister for ignoring scientific evidence by exploring dodgy accounting tricks for measuring methane emissions from livestock. It is the first time in Luxon’s political or business career that he has made the front page of the Financial Times – and it was humiliating. He should expect more international criticism to come.”