Nick Smith: Former Climate Change Minister on David Seymour floating the idea of leaving the Paris Agreement

A former Climate Change Minister says it would be a mistake to withdraw from a global climate deal. 

ACT Leader David Seymour's floated the idea of New Zealand leaving the agreement, saying it's perhaps a discussion for a future election. 

Labour’s calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to recommit to the deal. 

Nick Smith told Mike Hosking it would be great if we could hold a consistent stance on this.  

He says the problem with an issue like climate change is if Government policy is flip-flopping all the time, you're not going to make any progress. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now to make things spicy within the government active float
to this idea or pulling out of Paris as well,
David Seymour suggesting it might be party policy going into
next year's election. The former Climate Minister Nick Smith is
with us next morning.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
To you are your good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Given Trump has the game changed on the environment or not?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well? The danger in American politics is the whole issue
of climate change there is just so polarized. So when
it came to Kyoto, the Democrats and then the Republicans
pulled them out and we've had exactly the same thing
now playing out with Paris. My hope for New Zealand
is that we can be a bit more moderate and
consistent in There are countries lakes of the UK and
in Germany where there's been a more consistent and less

(00:40):
polarized position. The problem with an issue like climate change
is that if your government policy is flip flopping all
the time, you're not going to make any progress. And
it is one of those long term issues. I'm in
that headspace that says New Zealand does need to do
its fair share. You'll have the Green Party wanted us
to be world leaders without being realistic about the packed
on jobs and the cost of living. You'll have the

(01:03):
Party saying hey, let's be free loaders and do nothing.
On one of those moderates, it says that New Zealand
should do it's fair share, and it would be a
big mistake for New Zealand to pull out of Paris.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, that Mike fair share to achieve what though, Nick,
if America is not in and Brazil still polluting, and
India is still polluting, and China's still polluting, to achieve
what well.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
I don't accept the world is. Remember there are only
out of one hundred and ninety seven countries, you've got
one hundred and ninety three that are in Paris. But
even if you put an economic leans over at Mike,
you know, the European Union is our fourth biggest trading
partner twenty billion dollars a year. That free trade agreement

(01:46):
specifically mentioned as climate change. I think in the Trump era,
trade with the United States is going to be more
bumpy and more uncertain. And you've got both China and
Australia as part of the Paris Agreement. So I actually
think even from an economic lens, it would be a
big mistake or New Zealand to unilaterally pull out of Paris.

(02:10):
I do think in that determination about what is New
Zealand's fear share in terms of constraining our missions, then
you do need to look at your key trading partners
and seeing how much progress they are making. It would
be a game changer if Australia changed its position. I
don't see any sign of that, either from the Liberal
opposition or the Labor government in Australia. Here's the other

(02:33):
interesting piece night, and that is actually if you look
at the big investments in the technology that is going
to enable us to get emissions down, whether it be
solar panels or whether it be electric vehicles, actually China
has made huge progress. I suspect the cost of those
is likely to come down with the tariffs that are

(02:54):
being imposed today on the US, such that there will
be opportunity. We just need to be realistic that there
is an economic cost to climate change policy, be upfront
with New Zealanders about that. And that's where I come
back to. I'm hoping the government will hold the line
and have New Zealand doing its fair.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Shared all right. Another thing to ask the Prime Minister
for about shortly appreciate it. Next Smith, former climate change
minister now Mayor of Nelson, of course. For more from
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