Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett will travel to Nadi today to join leaders and ministers at ministerial talks ahead of the 23rd Conference of the Parties – COP23 – in Bonn, Germany in November.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett is today announcing a package of changes that the Government will make to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to ensure it puts New Zealand in the best possible position to achieve its ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target.

“In 2015 the Government initiated a review of the ETS to ensure it was fit for purpose going into the 2020s,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett will travel to Suva today to join Pacific Leaders and Ministers at a Climate Action Pacific Partnership (CAPP) event.

The CAPP is a regional meeting preparing the ground for the global climate change Ministerial conference (COP 23) Fiji will chair in November.

“The event is about identifying solutions and initiatives to accelerate Pacific climate action, something New Zealand is committed to supporting,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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The latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows gross emissions have remained stable since 2003 and declined in 2015 as New Zealand is becoming more carbon efficient, says Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett.

“Domestic greenhouse gas emissions have stabilised while our economy and population continue to grow. Between 1990 and 2015 the emissions intensity of the economy decreased by 35.9%, indicating the economy is becoming more carbon efficient,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Budget 2017 invests $4 million of new operating funding over four years to progress New Zealand’s climate change work programme, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says.

“The Government is moving to the next stage of its work programme to meet our ambitious Paris Agreement 2030 emissions targets,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This funding will mandate work across government to provide costed, tested and modelled policy options to meet our international emissions reductions targets under the Paris Agreement.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues Budget 2017
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee have today announced that New Zealand will provide $1.3 million to support Fiji’s presidency of the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year.

“At last year’s conference in Marrakech, Fiji was selected to take up the role of president of this significant event,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This is a major undertaking for any country and these important talks will bring together climate experts officials and leaders from around the world.

Gerry Brownlee Paula Bennett Foreign Affairs Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Finance Minister Steven Joyce have asked the Productivity Commission to review how New Zealand can maximise the opportunities and minimise the costs and risks of transitioning to a lower carbon economy.

“This next step in our climate change work programme will enable us to properly assess the economic trade-offs that we’ll need to make to meet our ambitious 2030 Paris Agreement target,” says Mrs Bennett.

Steven Joyce Paula Bennett Finance Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says New Zealand and Korea have begun joint discussions on developing carbon markets in the region.

Yesterday’s inaugural meeting of the Environmental Committee, established under the New Zealand – Korea Free Trade Agreement, comes shortly after New Zealand and China signed a Climate Change Action Plan as part of the NZ China FTA.

“New Zealand wants to discuss carbon markets with a range of potential partners,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Police Climate Change Issues
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Minister for Climate Change Issues Paula Bennett has announced details of a climate change action plan to be put in place with China.

The action plan is included in a package of bilateral initiatives announced today by the Prime Minister and visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. It gives practical effect to the broad approach set out in the New Zealand-China Climate Change Cooperation Arrangement signed by the two countries’ leaders in 2014.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says China and New Zealand have experience and expertise to share about responding to climate change.

Mrs Bennett today met with China’s top official for climate change, Mr Zhang Yong, Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, at Premier House in Wellington.

Mrs Bennett and Mr Zhang held the first Ministerial dialogue under the New Zealand-China Climate Change Cooperation Arrangement Memorandum signed by the two countries’ leaders in 2014.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Emitters are now on their way to paying the full cost of their carbon emissions in New Zealand, says Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett.

“As part of our ongoing work programme to reduce domestic emissions we have started the three-year phase out of the one-for-two emissions trading scheme subsidy,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges today opened public consultation on a new national renewable energy strategy.

The draft replacement of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy proposes actions that will help New Zealand make the most of its clean, renewable energy sources.

“Energy efficiency and increased use of our renewables are critical for our environment and our economy,” Mr Bridges says.

Simon Bridges Energy and Resources Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett has brought together 10 experts from government and the private sector to provide advice on how New Zealand can adapt and build resilience to the effects of climate change.

The Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group includes representatives from central and local government, the banking and insurance sector, engineering, science, and local communities. 

Adaptation expert Dr Judy Lawrence will co-chair the group with Penny Nelson, Ministry for the Environment’s Deputy Secretary, Sector Strategy.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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New Zealand has joined countries at the 2016 UN climate change conference, COP22, in fast-tracking the implementation of the historic Paris Agreement.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett gave support to the Marrakech Proclamation, which highlights the global momentum on tackling climate change.

“The COP22 global meeting has reaffirmed New Zealand’s absolute commitment to playing our part in the global action to reduce climate change,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett has announced New Zealand’s intention to extend ratification of both the Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement to include Tokelau.

Minister Bennett was speaking from Marrakech where countries who signed up to the Paris Agreement have just convened the historic first meeting of Parties to the Agreement. 

“This is a significant step, not only for Tokelau, but also for New Zealand and for the Pacific,” Minister Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the historic Paris Agreement, which comes into force today.

“Today is a momentous day internationally in that we have an agreement at scale that climate change is a global problem,” Mrs Bennett says.

The Paris Agreement formalises the legal framework for all countries to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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A new report provides a robust and objective examination of how emissions from agriculture are created, as well as options for reducing them, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said today.

The ministers have welcomed the report released today by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright.

Paula Bennett Nathan Guy Primary Industries Climate Change Issues
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Good morning everyone, it’s a pleasure to be here today.

I just want to start by acknowledging Madeleine Wright, Fiona Driver and Gary Taylor, I really appreciate the invitation to come and speak to you.

You know if you told me when I first became an MP that in just a few years I’d be going all over New Zealand and in fact the world talking about climate change, I don’t think I would have believed you.

But now that I’ve had the portfolio for 10 months, I’ve got to say I am really loving it.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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New Zealand has helped make history today by ratifying the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says.

“By ratifying today, we are helping to get the Paris Agreement officially over the line, and demonstrated our commitment to global action on climate change.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
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Transport and Associate Climate Change Issues Minister Simon Bridges has released New Zealand’s plan to address emissions from air travel.

The New Zealand Aviation Emissions Reduction Action Plan has been lodged with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at its annual summit today.

The plan outlines current and planned measures to address aviation emissions and covers four key parties - government, air traffic control, airports and airlines.

Simon Bridges Transport Climate Change Issues
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New Zealand is set to join an international agreement addressing carbon emissions from air travel, says Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

“International aviation is not included in the recent Paris Agreement, which is why New Zealand will join the voluntary global measure being developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” Mr Bridges says.

ICAO is responsible for the regulation of international aviation, including measures for the reduction of emissions in the sector.

Simon Bridges Transport Climate Change Issues
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A report released today shows New Zealand is making good progress in tackling climate change and is focused on the next steps, Climate Change Issues Minister Paula Bennett says.

‘New Zealand’s Action on Climate Change’, produced by the Ministry for the Environment, brings together information about the science, global momentum and domestic work to transition to a lower emissions future.

“Climate change is an incredibly important issue, but too many people find it complex or get put off by the politics,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues