By Deirdre Robert
Posted on July 15, 2010. Listed in:
The Ministry of Economic Development has released the latest edition of the New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions publication, showing total annual greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector have decreased by seven percent in 2009. And it looks like rain and the recession are the main culprits behind this change, not Government policy.
The electricity sector saw a drop in emissions of 24 percent, thanks to rain keeping hydro lakes full, fostering a decreased reliance on more emissions-intensive thermal electricity generation.
But the Government can’t hide behind the rain and recession, says Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman
“Relying on rain and recession to reduce emissions won’t work,” he says.
“We hear lots of talk about emissions reductions, but the Government’s actions are creating a different future. Relying on good luck rather than good management is a recipe for disaster.”
Labour also maintains the National Government can’t take credit for the reductions.
"National can’t trumpet these reductions as they bear no relationship whatsoever to its policies,” says Labour's environment spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
The report also shows total emissions from transport decreased two percent in 2009, largely as a result of the recession.
Emissions from transport and electricity generation made up 44 percent and 19 percent of total energy sector emissions respectively in 2009.
“The transport emissions decrease is due to less diesel use because of reduced economic activity,” says Chauvel.
"National has dismantled the Energy Strategy and the Transport Strategy and all the measures they put in place to reduce emissions in each sector. When New Zealand comes out of recession, and in years when our hydro lakes aren't full, our emissions will hit historic highs,” he says.
Russel Norman says one way the Government can actually cut emissions is to spend more money on enhancing shipping and rail infrastructure, rather than just spending billions on motorways, which Norman says is effectively subsidising the freight industry.
“A modest fuel economy standard would also achieve better transport results without having to hide behind a recession.”
Norman also says the Emissions Trading Scheme, which subsidises polluters, will also contribute to a future increase in emissions – a sentiment echoed by Chauvel.
"The only policy the Government has in place to address this reality is a flawed ETS that shifts costs from emitters to households and which will lead to higher, not lower, greenhouse gas emissions,” says Chauvel.
The report also shows an increase in geothermal electricity generation contributed to a 40 percent increase in geothermal emissions. Geothermal electricity generation accounts for 2 percent of total energy sector emissions.
On the global stage, New Zealand is at the high end in terms of percentage change in energy sector emissions since 1990, but around the middle in terms of energy sector emissions per capita. That might not bode well under New Zealand’s Kyoto commitments.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, New Zealand will have to limit its levels of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels, on average, during the period 2008 to 2012.
The full New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions publication is available for download here.
Image: Flickr - kirainet
