The Emissions Reduction Plan has the substance of sea foam
Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi is the chief executive of Te Runanga Nui o Te Aupouri from Muriwhenua, the Far North.
OPINION: The Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw (or Hemi Hoo in our distinctive northern dialect) has announced his long-awaited emission reduction plan (ERP).
It is like the kokohuka on the Ninety Mile Beach, the foam that is washed ashore after lots of offshore wind. It lacks substance and soon evaporates when you try to grab it.
The most hilarious aspect is the proposed cash grant for car owners who exchange their vehicles for an electric car, or convincing people to ride an e-bike! Apparently we are going to resolve our climate challenges by riding e-bikes on roads that cannot cope with existing traffic flows. Hardly a winner here in Muriwhenua.
There are far too many Wellington working parties and officials groups toiling away on matters that will not see the light of day.
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For example, within the Far North we urgently require an upgrade to our energy transmission capacity. Solar investments and wind farms are not viable if the actual clean energy cannot be delivered to the end users.
Given the political fuss generated by the Government, where is the actual concrete plan for areas such as Muriwhenua?
There is no genuine commitment to upgrade our infrastructure, although our daily sun hours are amongst the highest in NZ. If the underlying foundations are solid the investors will come and commit. Highly unlikely on the basis of this kokohuka.
The pūtea (budget) for scrapping our existing vehicle fleet comes from the emissions trading scheme (ETS). There is confusion, however, about the future of the ETS in terms of forestry investment.
Māori landowners are weighing up litigating against the Crown over the proposed changes designed to prohibit permanent exotic forests on whenua Māori being a part of the ETS.
At this stage there does not appear to be a target for forestry in the ERP. How many hectares ought to be grown as a carbon sink for an affordable climate change transition?
Shrill voices call out for more native regeneration on existing farmland. If this is the panacea then they obviously do not regard the current climate situation as urgent.
A pine tree grows faster, sequesters carbon over a shorter period of time than puriri, totara and other children of Tāne. Such investments will contribute to the 2050 zero climate target.
Unfortunately, exotic forestry issue has become very divisive and tangata whenua landowners are being put through an ideological crusher.
Fortunately these Māori are also voters and next year the electoral grinder will be used against those who seek to undermine our Māori land rights.
- Mariameno Kapa-Kingi stood as a Te Pāti Māori candidate at the 2020 election.