National still not serious about climate change

Writing in the Herald, Colin James reports that National is trying to outflank Labour on climate change, and points to their setting a target of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050 as evidence. But while I welcome the setting of a quantifiable target, and hope that this will spur Labour to do the same, I have to point out two things. Firstly, 2050 is so far in the future as to be meaningless; such a distant target will allow successive governments to put off and put off action until it is too late. Governments which are serious about climate change have set targets for 2020 and 2030 as well to provide them with near-term post-Kyoto goals to spur action. And secondly, the proposed target is far lower than the level reqired. The Stern Review on the economics of climate change argued that a cut of at least 50% in global emissions would be required by 2050 in order to have an even chance of avoiding dangerous levels of climate change, and under the UNFCCC most of this burden would have to be borne by western industrialised countries (you know, the people who created the problem in the first place). In recognition of this the UK has already bound itself to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050; the EU is offering a cut of 60 - 80% [PDF]; and Norway has committed to full carbon neutrality by then. Against this backdrop, National's proposal is rather underwhelming. It's not leading the world, it's not even "doing our bit". Instead it looks like deliberate foot dragging.

(Hat tip: DPF)