Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): This Government is proud of its track record and the progress that it is making on improving freshwater quality. But this afternoon the Government wants to focus on the issue of climate change because I think members would appreciate it is one of the most important issues of our time. The announcement today by Paula Bennett the Minister for Climate Change Issues that the Government is proceeding to ratify the Paris Agreement is a significant step forward. There can be no single country that can resolve the climate change issue and that is why the international negotiations are such a crucial component. It is particularly noteworthy that when the Kyoto Protocol was ratified this Parliament went to and fro debating it for more than 4 years and in comparison the debate has moved on and there is actually very little controversy today on the step that Paula Bennett has taken. I would also note with some pride that both the Kyoto Protocol which was signed by one of the original Bluegreens Simon Upton and Tim Groser's pivotal role in the Paris Agreement have both been under National Ministers showing the genuine progress this side of the House is able to make on this crucial issue. New Zealand is committing through the Paris Agreement to a reduction of 30 percent in our emissions by 2030. That is a bold and challenging task and I would invite members of the House to read the Treasury papers about the size of the economic challenge that is required to achieve that because some of the quite naive commitments that are made by other political parties do not take on board the reality of the size of that challenge. I also want to note in the debate about climate change the actual numbers that show that progress is being made. If we look at emissions after the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed in the years from 1990 to 1999 New Zealand's emissions grew under that Shipley-Bolger Government by an average of 700000 tonnes per year. If you look at the period between 1999 and 2008—David Parker is in the House so he would note it—the previous Labour Government supported by the Greens actually saw a massive increase in emissions. During that 9-year period emissions actually grew on average by 1.3 million tonnes per year. Emissions today are actually lower than what they were at the peak of 2005 in gross terms and lower than what they were in 2007 in net terms. So when I hear members opposite talking about climate change I say yes it is true that Labour and the Greens were bigger on the rhetoric. They promised a carbon-free New Zealand but if you look at the reality of the progress that has been made on policies that are actually reducing emissions we are making good progress.Hon David Parker: A carbon-free New Zealand would rid us of Nick Smith.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: If we take the emissions trading scheme Mr Parker we need to be honest that New Zealand is one of only eight countries outside of the EU that even puts a price on carbon and the current price of carbon in New Zealand at over $18 per tonne actually compares with the EU price of $7—in other words there is a stronger financial incentive in New Zealand to reduce emissions. If you look at the electricity sector under our Government we have seen growth from 60 percent renewable to now 90 percent which contrasts with under the previous Government when it actually went in the opposite direction. I look at the programme on insulating homes—500000 homes insulated under the programme of this Government; 15000—one five—under the previous Government. I look at the progress that Simon Bridges is making with the initiative of electric cars where we have seen a fivefold increase in the number of new electric cars. I look at the massive investment that Nathan Guy and Steven Joyce are leading around the agricultural emissions. You have a robust solid and realistic approach to climate change that today is marked by the significant announcement of the ratification of that Paris Agreement.