Ryan Bridge: Do our trading partners care about our climate goals?

This idea that our trading partners will somehow punish us for lacking ambition in climate change doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Yes, there are some provisions in some agreements, but they’re vaguely worded enough to get around.

If the UK or the EU or even the Aussies really wanted to punish us, they could.

But the question is whether they would, nor could.

And why would they? We’re a fraction of global emissions so what difference would it make anyway?

It’s methane we’re talking about, cow’s burping milk which helps feed 40 million humans.

But, most importantly, our trading buddies would have to call pot kettle black.

The Aussies set a target of 62-70% reduction target on 2005 levels last month.

That was lower than forecast, criticised by green groups and contrary to advice from their equivalent of the climate change commission.

In the UK Starmer’s being told to prepare government buildings for temperatures 2 degrees higher than normal, rather than the 1.5 limit everyone’s hoping but failing to achieve.

The big four aren't exactly doing their bit either. 

Just this morning... another new climate report... guess what? A record amount of CO2. The largest increase since modern measurements began in the 1950s. 

So, it’s not like the rest of the world is covered in glory. 

It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Everyone’s out for themselves. And New Zealand’s no exception.

Does this mean the government’s made the right call? Can stand saddle up on its high horse?

No. But it also doesn’t mean we’re about to get sued or blocked by our trading partners. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This idea that our trading partners will somehow punish us
for lacking ambition on climate change, I don't think passes
the sniff test. Yes, there are some provisions and some agreements,
but they're vaguely worded enough that you can drive around them.
If the UK, or the EU, or even the Aussies
really wanted to punish us, they could. The question is
whether they would not could and why would they were

(00:21):
a fraction of global emissions, what difference does it make anyway?
But most importantly it'd be pot kettle black from them
the Aussis, and we covered this at the time. So
they set their target of sixty two to seventy percent
reduction on two thousand five levels last month. That was
lower than they were forecast to do. They were criticized
by green groups it was contrary to advice from their

(00:44):
equivalent of the Climate Change Commission. Naughty naughty tisk tisc
In the UK, Star is being told to prepare the
government buildings there for temperatures of two degrees higher than
normal rather than the one point five limit that everyone's
hoping but failing to achieve. And the Big Four aren't
exactly doing their bit either. Just this morning, another new
climate report, because we get one every day. Guess what,

(01:06):
a record amount of emissions, the largest increase in modern
measurements since the nineteen fifties when we started doing that.
So it's not like the rest of the world is
covered in glory. It's a dog eat dog world out
there and everyone's basically up for themselves. In New Zealand,
there's no exception. Does this mean the government's made the
right call? Can they saddle up on a high horse. No,

(01:28):
But it also doesn't mean we're about to get sued
or blocked by our trading partners. For more from Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks. It'd
be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.