Shaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4781. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Does he agree with the decision of the Hague District Court that “The State must do more to avert the imminent danger caused by climate change also in view of its duty of care to protect and improve the living environment” and what steps will he take to ensure that the Crown isn’t open to similar litigation here?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) on behalf of theMinister for Climate Change Issues: Our programme in New Zealand does have us doing more to reduce those risks. We introduced an emissions trading scheme in 2009 we joined the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and we reversed the decline in renewable electricity from the previous Government. I would also note with our Pacific friends in the House the $100 million that our Government has invested there in providing them with clean and affordable energy. This record and the fact that our Government has met our Kyoto obligations by a significant margin give me confidence that the risks of similar litigation here are very low.James Shaw: What does it say about the National Government and its climate record when a country with both lower emissions per capita and a more ambitious reductions target has been found in court to have failed its duty of care towards it citizens?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I do not accept the member’s premise and I would note that the Netherlands has 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Under this Government we have now got that figure to over 80 percent and I would urge the member not to run down New Zealand’s good record.Stuart Smith: What changes have occurred to climate change policy over the last year that will have a beneficial effect on New Zealand’s future emissions?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The benefits of our emissions trading scheme are directly proportional to the carbon price. The original legislation supported by all parties in this Parliament allowed access to international units that after the global financial crisis became very cheap down to a price of only 10 or 20 cents. The Government’s decision not to allow access to these international units means that emissions from 1 January this year are now priced much more realistically and the current price is $7. This change provides a much stronger incentive to constrain future emissions.James Shaw: Will he stop using the fact that New Zealand has only 0.2 percent of global emissions as an excuse for a weak emissions reduction target given that a court has just ruled against the use of the same argument by the Netherlands which makes up 0.5 percent of global emissions?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Our Government takes a realistic approach where New Zealand is doing and will do its fair share on climate change. The most challenging part for New Zealand which is unlike any other developed country is that 50 percent of our emissions come from agricultural gases—methane and nitrous oxide—and that is the factor that does provide New Zealand with a challenging circumstance because technologies do not currently exist that would enable us to reduce those emissions. That is why our Government is investing so heavily in finding the technologies to solve that unique problem.James Shaw: Given that New Zealand’s net emissions have risen by 13 percent since National came to power why should not young New Zealanders sue the National Government for jeopardising their future?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Because the member’s figures are wrong. Let me put the record straight. New Zealand’s net emissions peaked in 2007. In 2007 New Zealand’s emissions were 84 million tonnes. The latest figure in New Zealand is that our net emissions are 70 million tonnes—that is 20 percent less than what they were under the previous Government at its peak.James Shaw: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday that “Ministers … from time to time will certainly say that people are free to test their legal rights.” and will he be saying this to young New Zealanders who will be taking hope and inspiration from the success of their Dutch counterparts?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: In our discussions with young New Zealanders they want to have good jobs and they want to have a strong economy as well as also wanting a responsible policy on climate change. The great fear that young people should have is that if you follow the sort of extreme Green policies that that party advocates many of them would be out of work.James Shaw: Given that New Zealanders are crying out for real climate action will he now encourage the Prime Minister to accept our offer to work together on climate change solutions that New Zealanders want and deserve?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: This Government is always open to good practical ideas on how we can improve our environmental record but what we will not do is adopt some of the policies that the Greens have advocated that will come with huge cost and will put New Zealanders out of work.