In its most recent report in 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) urged governments to prevent global warming of more than 2oC and recommended a global average emissions cut of 50% below 1990 levels by 2050.
The New Zealand government has agreed with the objective of keeping warming below 2 degrees and has proposed that New Zealand takes responsibility for an emissions cut of 50% below 1990 levels by 2050, or ‘50 by 50’ as the catchphrase goes.
On the face of it, this seems fair. However, the New Zealand Government’s approach appears to assume that all countries should make an equal contribution to emissions reductions. However, Article 3.1 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – to which New Zealand is a signatory - states that efforts to tackle climate change should be based on respective responsibility and capability.
It is a basic point of fairness that New Zealand, which has high emissions per person and has benefited from many decades of fossil fuel use, should do more than developing countries whose people are responsible for much lower emissions. By rights, these developing countries should have the flexibility to increase their emissions.
The IPCC’s recommendation would mean in the region of an 80% cut on 1990 levels by 2050 for industrialised countries like New Zealand. However, climate science is rapidly evolving and the latest evidence, which points to the need for even greater urgency and even deeper emissions cuts, leads WWF to advocate a global emissions cut of 80% which means industrialised countries putting in place zero carbon action plans aimed at reductions of at least 95% by 2050.
The New Zealand government has agreed with the objective of keeping warming below 2 degrees and has proposed that New Zealand takes responsibility for an emissions cut of 50% below 1990 levels by 2050, or ‘50 by 50’ as the catchphrase goes.
On the face of it, this seems fair. However, the New Zealand Government’s approach appears to assume that all countries should make an equal contribution to emissions reductions. However, Article 3.1 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – to which New Zealand is a signatory - states that efforts to tackle climate change should be based on respective responsibility and capability.
It is a basic point of fairness that New Zealand, which has high emissions per person and has benefited from many decades of fossil fuel use, should do more than developing countries whose people are responsible for much lower emissions. By rights, these developing countries should have the flexibility to increase their emissions.
The IPCC’s recommendation would mean in the region of an 80% cut on 1990 levels by 2050 for industrialised countries like New Zealand. However, climate science is rapidly evolving and the latest evidence, which points to the need for even greater urgency and even deeper emissions cuts, leads WWF to advocate a global emissions cut of 80% which means industrialised countries putting in place zero carbon action plans aimed at reductions of at least 95% by 2050.
