May 30, 2019
Te Arawa questions methane targets
Te Arawa want more Māori representation on the new Climate Change Commission and tougher targets for emissions reductions.
The iwi has met with Climate Change Minister James Shaw to discuss the zero carbon bill now before parliament.
Nicky Douglas from Te Urunga o Kea – Te Arawa Climate Change Working Group, says since their bill talks about a treaty partnership, half the members of the commission should be Māori.
The commission also needs to consider community well-being, health, the impact of climate change on cultural infrastructure, and setting realistic targets such as for agricultural emissions.
"We want to see a little more around how that methane target is going to be met. There could be some more work around whether or not that's enough to protect the future. Is it enough to get us where we need to be to meet that 1.5 degree (limit on global temperature rise) to meet the Paris Accord? Is it going to do that?" Ms Douglas says.
She says James Shaw has probably pushed the bill as far as he can politically, so groups like Te Arawa need to change public opinion if they want it to go further.
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