Genter Julie AnneJULIE ANNE GENTER (Green): This is it. Now is the time. Let this be the day that the New Zealand Parliament not only came together to debate a report that was commissioned by a cross-party parliamentary group which showed us the different pathways that we could take to make New Zealand truly net zero carbon to respond to climate change but let this be the day that we really start to work together to solve the problems that are in front of us because it is only by working together that we can solve a problem of this scale.Climate change we know—and we have known for many decades—is going to result in increased floods increased storms more powerful storms and more droughts. This is already affecting people around the globe and here in New Zealand this very day. If we do nothing it will get worse but the great news is that by taking action to reduce carbon pollution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions not only will we protect the climate but we will actually have an opportunity to make our lives better in many different ways.It is not too late to do things differently and this report in particular shows us clear pathways through different areas whether it is transport agriculture buildings industrial energy use—all of these different pathways added together can provide the road that we will take to reduce our carbon emissions and to have a better future.Electrifying our transport will clean up our air from diesel particulates and will reduce traffic noise in our towns and cities. Investing in trains and light rail and ferries and coastal shipping and rail freight—all of that will make it easier for people and goods to move around our country. It will make our towns and cities more hospitable places to live. It will result in better health for our children if they are able to walk and cycle to school. So there are all these opportunities to improve our lives in ways that will also protect our climate. But we will not be able to take those pathways and implement those solutions if we continue to defer action.One of the key findings of this report is that to the extent that it is feasible to delay further costs will only increase. We all know this. I mean right now in Auckland in my apartment I have got a leak in the skylight. Mr Speaker if you had a leak in your roof you would know that the longer you wait to repair it the more difficult and costly the damage will be. That is the situation we are in now. We know that the economy as it is is not serving us. It is resulting in increasing inequality and it will result in catastrophic climate change. The sooner we take action to transition the easier and more affordable it will be and the sooner we will get all of the benefits of that investment in warm dry homes in sustainable people-oriented transport and in farming that is high value and low cost in its impact on the environment. It will not only clean up our rivers and protect our climate but also preserve the soil. It will be better for farmers than this endless boom and bust of the commodity cycle that we are currently on.Most importantly everyone in New Zealand knows it is the right thing to do. I am confident that people want to do the right thing. They want to be part of something that makes the world a better place and makes their community a better place. New Zealanders get out there and chip in when there is a collective problem. I have no doubt that many New Zealanders will be out there in places that are experiencing severe flooding. In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake we saw an outpouring of support of people who were willing to get out there roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help repair the damage. That is what we need now more than ever.I am going to finish with a quote from Naomi Klein from the book This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs. The Climate: [Climate change] is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires floods droughts and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely new economic model and a new way of sharing this planet." I have no doubt that the people of New Zealand want to be part of the solution. What we need to do now is put aside our political differences and show that leadership because the role of Government is to protect and empower our people and our planet."