Three years ago, in the run-up to the 2005 election, the Labour government dumped a credible and effective policy to reduce New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. Now they look set to do it again by delaying the entry of transport fuels into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Transport is responsible for 19% of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. The vast majority of those emissions - around 90% - are from road transport. Cars and trucks are our largest source of emissions after agriculture, and one we desperately need to get under control if we are to have any hope of reducing emissions in the long term. And by delaying entry into the ETS, the government will be basically writing that off, and allowing those emissions to grow unchecked, while continuing New Zealand's inglorious trend of having no policy.
Just like 2005, I am disgusted by the government's utter gutlessness on this. And it is now becoming crystal clear that despite all its rhetoric on sustainability, Labour cannot be trusted to protect the environment or actually implement the policy it talks so loudly about. If I want that, then I'm clearly going to have to vote Green...
