Act Now

Emissions Trading Scheme

The Government recently released its framework for a New Zealand greenhouse gas Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The proposed scheme include all sectors and all greenhouse gases, although their entry times into the scheme vary. It puts a price on carbon across the economy, but it does not set a cap on emissions within New Zealand — there is no limit on the extent to which emissions reductions, and emissions offsets, can be purchased overseas.

By itself, the scheme is unlikely to produce major emissions reductions, unless the international price of carbon is substantially higher than projected. It will need a suite of complementary measures to drive real reductions in our emissions profile.

Despite this, the ETS has already come under sustained attack by representatives of the major greenhouse gas emitters, such as heavy industry and agriculture. They want the introduction of the scheme delayed, and its absolute emissions reductions targets replaced by “intensity targets”.

Although the scheme grants them extremely generous free allocations of the right to emit — or, in other words, extremely generous taxpayer subsidies of their emissions — it phases those free allocations out by 2025. The big emitters want their free allocations maintained in perpetuity.

So the ETS needs your help. We suggest that you write to the Prime Minister and go to see your nearest Labour MP to tell them that, if the scheme is to have any international or domestic credibility, they have to stand firm against the pressure from the big emitters. You could also ask for the following improvements to the scheme:

1. Urge the government to reconsider the timing of the inclusion of agriculture, and especially the dairy industry, within the trading scheme, and to resist strongly any pressure to further delay the introduction of the different sectors into the scheme.

2. Urge the government to reconsider the time period for phasing out free allocations and to resist strongly any pressure to extend it. Any suggestion that free allocations should be made permanent must be rejected.

3. Urge the government to reconsider adopting a cap on domestic emissions, and to restrict the inclusion of Eastern European ‘hot air’ units and any offset units that cannot satisfy a ‘gold standard’ test of environmental integrity.

4. Urge the government to audit the ETS to ensure that it does not have negative consequences for native ecosystems, and in particular, that credits are not given for non-indigenous forests established on areas of native ecosystems.

See below to find out how to contact and talk with politicians. In this case, given the urgency, it may be worth emailing rather than writing a letter.

See our Policy Development page for more details about the Climate Change Bill.

The world's climate is approaching a tipping point. So is New Zealand's climate change policy. This year, Government and Opposition politicians are deciding what direction they want New Zealand's climate policies to take. But some of them would rather do nothing and hope the problem goes away. Others would rather score political points than build a lasting, cross-party consensus on climate change policy that will survive the next election.

This means it's vital that you let politicians know how important this issue is to you. You can:

• Visit your MP
• Write to your MP
• Write a letter to the Editor
• Make a submission
• Join up with others
• Act locally

Visit your MP

This is probably the most important single thing you can do. Your electorate MP will hold weekly meetings (known as 'clinics') in your electorate. The times and venues of these will be advertised in local newspapers. Go along and tell your MP that climate policy matters to you, and that you want his or her party to take action that enables us to meet our Kyoto Protocol commitments and domestic emissions targets.

You don't have to be an expert - you just have to make it very clear to your MP that this is an issue which is very important to you, and that may affect how you will vote in the next general election.

You should also try to meet with list MPs from your area.

Write to your MP

Keep the pressure on your MP with a letter. Ask them what they are doing to combat climate change, and what their party's policy is. Demand specific answers. Many MPs don't know much about the issue, so there's no harm in bringing them up to date with the latest information on climate change - see our News and Events, Links, and Resources pages for sources of information.

You can also write to relevant Ministers - see http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ for their details.

(Although it's possible to email MPs, this is generally not as effective as writing a letter.)

Write a letter to the Editor

What's the stance of your local newspaper on climate issues? The Letters to the Editor column is a good place to praise good coverage, criticise poor coverage, or highlight issues that are being ignored. Many newspapers allow emailed letters to the editor - check the information given on the Letters to the Editor page.

If you want to go one step further, try to persuade the Editor to carry a feature article on climate change - get in touch with us if you need help with this.

And are you game enough to tackle talkback radio?

Make a submission

From time to time, there will be opportunities to make submissions on bills and policies related to climate change. See our Policy and Submissions page for information on the latest policy documents and opportunities to make submissions.

You can also register with Greenpeace at www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/take-action/subscribe if you would like to receive email alerts each time there is an opportunity to make a submission (though please note that these alerts will also cover other issues that Greenpeace is working on).

Join up with others

By forming a group in your local area, or joining an existing group, you can greatly increase your effectiveness. Wherever you are, you don't have to be a lone voice on climate change.

Act locally

What is your local council or community board doing about mitigating the effects of climate change in your area? What steps are they taking to make your community ready for the effects of climate change? Have they even thought about the issue? Make sure that they do. You might also like to:

• Organise a public meeting or demonstration.
• Organise a screening of a documentary such as "An Inconvenient Truth".
• Talk to local groups. Start with those most likely to be sympathetic, and work your way up to the tough ones!
• Make sure that climate change is being discussed in local schools.
• Talk to friends, neighbours, and family members about the issue. It's going to affect them all.