Woods MeganHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): Thank you Mr Speaker and it's my pleasure to welcome—SPEAKER: Sorry. I do want to just before the member speaks sincerely apologise to Mr Stuart Smith. I just had a complete blank on his name and I do apologise. Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Thank you Mr Speaker. It's my pleasure to welcome the Climate Change Commission's final advice outlining a blueprint for tackling climate change by achieving the reduction targets agreed to under the zero carbon Act through to 2035. Nearly six years ago I had the privilege along with the Hon James Shaw as Opposition members of Parliament of being part of New Zealand's delegation to the Paris climate talks. Over the course of those two weeks representatives from Governments and civil society came together to wrestle with how as a globe made up of individual nations we could confront climate change. During that time there were numerous conversations about how New Zealand could meet the targets that we were signing up for and today marks the momentous milestone of putting in place the plan to do just that—to meet our obligations and to prepare for ambition. The Prime Minister has described this report as one of the most significant she will receive as Prime Minister. Decisions we make as a result of this report will shape our future as a nation. Significantly it lays out that not taking action will cost us. It will cost us to the tune of 2.3 percent of GDP by 2050—in other words delaying action will make the decarbonising job harder and more expensive in the long run. So this is not only a blueprint for change; it is an opportunity for us not to squander. It also tells us that meeting targets is achievable. We already have the tools we need available to us. We don't need any magic wands. What's more the Government is already taking action in the right areas but we must move faster and there is much more work to do. We have begun. We have banned new offshore oil and gas exploration we have passed the zero carbon Act we have established the Climate Change Commission we have doubled our climate change aid to the Pacific we have overhauled the emissions trading scheme we have overseen the more than doubling of the carbon price; we have ploughed billions into infrastructure for buses and trains cycling and walking we've helped businesses switch to clean energy with the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund and we've invested in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and brought back the mandate to include biofuels and petrol. But the commission says that we must build on this progress and this work needs to start now. We do not need any miracle technologies but we do need to get them into place. Further steps need to be taken to address the unevenly distributed impacts of climate change on New Zealanders including our most vulnerable. Government needs to signal policies early to give business and communities time to adjust and we need a clear and strong partnership with local government and with iwi Māori. As energy Minister I also welcome the recommendation that we develop a national energy strategy. This as with the other 33 recommendations will be carefully considered and consulted on over the coming months. So to conclude now that we have the commission's advice we have an amazing opportunity and chance to transform our economy as well as the lives of our children and our grandchildren. But we must work with renewed urgency and determination. The job is not yet done.