New Zealand has a reputation in some places for being “green” but it’s actually horrifying how the unique and wonderful ecosystem has deteriorated in the last couple hundred years.
It’s even horrifying how much it has deteriorated in my lifetime. I grew up with stuff like safe river swimming, I can remember having to drive super slowly on rainy nights because of all the frogs hopping up the road. Maui’s dolphin still had a viable population. Things like that.
Wow, the UK is smashing it (compared to us): https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/uk/
I was expecting this list to list everyone as highly insufficient but as it turns out there are countries that are trying.
I have a question, though. Can anyone explain the gross net accounting system for me?
The government also needs to revisit its target architecture and drop the much discredited “gross-net” approach to target setting. New Zealand is one of only a few countries in the world using this “gross net” accounting system to calculate its 2030 target.
A search didn’t turn up much. I found this page from Stats NZ but it didn’t mention gross net, and basically says we calculate based on UN recommendations.
I found this explaining it: https://www.lawyersforclimateaction.nz/news-events/press-release-creative-accounting-makes-ndc-look-better-than-it-is
Arguably an accounting trick to make emissions reductions sound better than they are.
Thanks, great find!
I don’t disagree that NZ is highly insufficient and has been for a long time.
But I’ve tried to work out some of their other rankings. e.g. Australia moved from highly insufficient to insufficient last year, and I can’t quite understand why. The Labor government is promising more climate action but hasn’t really done a lot yet.
So NX is selling carbon credits and then buying new ones from overseas? How the fuck does that work ?
NZ isn’t green. Far from it. Govt don’t care as they will be long gone when the consequences of their actions start to bite. In the near future as the country is ravaged by more and more severe weather, those that can will leave or hunker down in their lavish bunkers.
Can’t wait for that future. Peasants left to squabble among the mud
