Parata Hekia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Parata Hekia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:655;Page:5017] 
8. HEKIA PARATA (National) 
 to the  
Minister for Climate Change Issues 
: What does yesterday’s New Zealand  
Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
 report tell us about trends in emissions from the transport electricity and manufacturing industries? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) 
: 
 New Zealand’s 2008 overall energy emissions are up 44 percent on 1990 baselines and up 3.6 percent on 2007. Electricity emissions have increased the most by 123 percent since 1990. Transport emissions in 2008 were down 4 percent in response to the spike in fuel prices but they are up 63 percent on 1990 levels. Emissions in the manufacturing sector were up 26 percent on 1990 levels and up 7 percent on 2007. These figures well illustrate that New Zealand has made little progress in constraining emissions and highlight the huge challenge we face in reversing these trends. 
Hekia Parata 
: How does the level of emissions in 2008 from coal-generated electricity compare with those in 2000 and 1990? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The report shows emissions of nearly 4 million tonnes from Huntly in 2008. This compares with 1 million tonnes in 2000 and half a million tonnes in 1990. This highlights an eightfold increase in our emissions from coal-generated electricity from the 1990 Kyoto Protocol baseline and is New Zealand’s worst area of emissions growth. Although this can be partly excused by 2008 being a dry year the 2008 figure of about 4 million tonnes has been the level in 4 of the last 5 years. It highlights New Zealand’s need for developing its renewable energy resources. 
Hekia Parata 
: How does this increase in emissions compare with other developed countries and how will this latest information input into New Zealand’s post-Kyoto 2020 emissions target? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: New Zealand’s emissions increases overall since 1990 are 24 percent. That compares with other countries for instance the United States where emissions are up about 16 percent; Japan where emissions are up 8 percent; and the European Union where emissions are down 10 percent. This increase in emissions means that we need to be realistic about setting a 2020 target relative to 1990 baselines. When representatives of European countries talk of a 20 percent reduction they are already halfway there whereas New Zealand would need to reverse the 24 percent increase first and then meet any target on top of that within the comparatively short period of just 10 years. 
Charles Chauvel 
: Given the upward trend in emissions to which the Minister has referred how can he not now accept that it was extremely unwise to have repealed measures to reduce emissions such as the moratorium on new baseload thermal generation the biofuels obligation and the phase-out of inefficient incandescent light bulbs? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The new Government takes a different approach because quite frankly the approach of the previous Government did not work as is highlighted by these figures. In respect of the biofuels approach we have implemented a financial incentive for biofuels rather than the compulsory nanny State approach of the previous Government. In respect of the thermal ban it is this Government’s view that a price on the big increase in coal emissions is a more effective way than a thermal ban. Of course a thermal ban will have absolutely no effect on the huge increase in emissions we have seen from Huntly where a price instrument is a more effective way to do that.