CLIMATE CHANGE OPTIONS

The Government today released submissions on its Climate Change Domestic Policy Options Statement.

Environment Minister, Simon Upton, said the Options Statement proposed three interim measures for constraining greenhouse gas emissions prior to the Kyoto Protocol's commencement date of 2008 (these included emissions trading and a carbon charge).

"The Government has decided not to adopt one of these at this stage. A decision will be made on which interim measure is to be adopted after the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP6), which is to be held sometime around the end of 2000.

"Important issues are expected to be resolved at COP6 which will bear directly on New Zealand's domestic considerations".

"All options remain on the table in the meantime", Mr Upton said.

"We are also continuing to work on measures to reduce emissions in the agriculture and energy sectors, and we are providing more funding to these programmes" Mr Upton concluded.