By Celsias Team
Posted on May 2, 2011. Listed in:
By 2025, New Zealand should be generating 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. That goal was recently outlined in the Government’s National Policy Statement, which also puts forth an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Apparently, renewable energy is a big thing in New Zealand. Now an announcement by Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata,that New Zealand has gained membership into the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), seeks to further enhance that stance.
"New Zealand's membership of IRENA is another example of the balanced approach our Government is taking to building a sustainable energy and resources future."
It’s an interesting statement, considering a recently leaked copy of the Government’s draft New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES) generated much criticism for its emphasis on fossil fuel extraction (read Celsias story).
IRENA works to facilitate the rapid development and deployment of renewable energy worldwide. It was officially established in January of 2009 and to date the European Union and 149 states have signed the Statute of the Agency; amongst them are 48 African, 38 European, 35 Asian, 17 American and 10 Australia/Oceania States.
Based in Abu Dhabi, the organisation works closely with international bodies like International Energy Agency (IEA), and places a strong focus on capacity building in developing countries, including Pacific Island states.
“Renewables and energy efficiency are a big part of our energy picture,” says Parata. “We are a world leader in geothermal energy. Our rivers and lakes have long provided hydro-electricity and our wind resources are world class.”
But is hydro energy truly renewable, or in the very least, sustainable? Hydro’s environmental credentials have often been debated. As well as having an impact on wildlife, hydro dams don’t last forever, and their decommissioning can cause built-up toxins in sediments to be released, a process which the author K. Gregg Elliott says could lead to carbon release in the atmosphere (read the article here).
