Podcasts about climate change commission

Last week, the government announced that they would not be making changes to the way we calculate our emissions targets according to the advice of the Climate Change Commission. One change that was rejected was the inclusion of international shipping and aviation emissions; the flying and shipping that is so key to New Zealand's economy, through tourism and elsewhere, is excluded from our emissions targets, despite being a significant chunk of our emissions. This means, however, that in the face of our Paris Agreement commitments, the Government has opted to keep working with an incomplete picture of our economies emissions. Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Lisa Ellis, about these emissions, and what this rejection means for how we present ourselves and neighbours and a member of the international community.

This week on the Monday Wire: For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government choosing not to go ahead with the Climate Change Commission's recommendations on how to reduce methane emissions. Producer Alex spoke to Lisa Ellis, a Professor in Philosophy at the University of Otago, about the government's decision to reject the climate change commission's recommendation to include shipping and aviation emissions from our national emissions targets, and what that means for our Paris Agreement commitments. Joel spoke to Boyd Swinburn, a Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health at the University of Auckland and Co-Chair of Health Coalition Aotearoa about San Francisco's lawsuit against companies producing highly-processed food, and what we could see as a result here in New Zealand. And Alex spoke to Chief Advisor at Forest & Bird, Richard Capie, about the Fast Track Amendment bill, the lack of engagement with feedback in the Environment Select Committee's report recommending any changes, and what it means for our environment. Whakarongo mai!

The government has recently rejected all of the Climate Change Commission's recommendations regarding strengthening the country's methane targets recommendations. The commission's recommendations include strengthening the county's 2050 methane emission targets, continuing lowering emissions after 2050, and that international shipping and aviation, which represents 9% of the county's total emissions, should be included within targets. Despite the commission saying that there would be upfront costs, many of the changes would result in cost savings over time, however, the government rejected this claim. For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government rejecting these recommendations.

A government decision to reject stronger climate targets is pitiful, and will cost households in the long run, scientists, advocates and opposition politicians say. The coalition today released its response to recommendations from the Climate Change Commission to strengthen New Zealand's 2050 targets for methane and carbon emissions. It rejected them both, saying adopting stronger targets would impact GDP - but critics say today's decision will cost the country far more dearly. Climate Change Correspondent Kate Newton reports.

The Government has this morning formally rejected all recommendations from the Climate Change Commission to strengthen New Zealand's emissions targets. Climate Change Correspondent, Kate Newton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The government has quietly rejected advice to set a much more ambitious long-term target for New Zealand's carbon emissions. The Climate Change Commission wanted the country to aim for net-negative carbon emissions by 2050 - but the government has decided to stick with the current net-zero target. It's hot off the back of another decision last month to weaken New Zealand's methane target. Climate change reporter Kate Newton spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's the Friday Show 1 year Anniversary! We celebrate with some out of context nonsense from the year!An independent report analysing the Govt's youth offender bootcamp programme has been released. A small sample size of 10 is not conclusive as to whether or not it was a success but questions remain about whether it was a good use of tax payers money, the future of the programme and the long-term results on the youth involved.A history of cross-party agreement regarding climate change policies has been broken with the govt hell bent on dismantling long-term policies, reducing targets and cutting out the independent Climate Change Commission from decisions.30 "new" school lunch providers will be reinstated for Term 1 2026 for some schools receiving free school lunches. Compass Group are not one of those providers, cut out of the deal for 2026.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

We're want to talk about climate change, and more specifically whether policy makers are throwing in the towel on the climate battle. It's a question we're asking because Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has announced changes to the Climate Change Response Act. The biggest amendment seems to be the proposal to end the current requirement for the Climate Change Commission to advise the Government on the country's emissions reduction plans. It would also mean the public would no longer be consulted on national emissions budgets. Across the ditch, Australia's conservative political parties are looking at dropping their commitment to hit net zero emissions by 2050. These changes got us wondering whether our individual actions can still make a difference.

Earlier this week the government announced changes to climate change policy, with a controversial response to the choice to delay the Carbon Neutral Government Programme benchmark from 2025 to 2050.   The move also shifts dynamics of decision-making and consultation. The government has removed the requirement of advisory from the Climate Change Commission when developing emissions budgets, significantly altering the influence of the cross-partisan collective established through the Zero Carbon Act in 2019.   Producer Jasmine Gray spoke with Adam Currie, Campaigner and Movement Support Manager for climate organisation 350 Aotearoa, about these changes.  

Earlier this week the government announced changes to climate change policy, with a controversial response to the choice to delay the Carbon Neutral Government Programme benchmark from 2025 to 2050.   The move also shifts dynamics of decision-making and consultation. The government has removed the requirement of advisory from the Climate Change Commission when developing emissions budgets, significantly altering the influence of the cross-partisan collective established through the Zero Carbon Act in 2019.   Producer Jasmine Gray spoke with Adam Currie, Campaigner and Movement Support Manager for climate organisation 350 Aotearoa, about these changes.  

Last week, the government announced that they'd be scrapping same-day election enrolments, alongside a number of other changes to electoral laws. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said that current electoral laws were “placing too much strain on the system” and increased the time needed for the vote count. Earlier this week, the Climate Change Commission released its annual monitoring report on emissions reductions,  which showed that Aotearoa New Zealand was on track to meeting its first emissions budget for the period of 2022-2025, but not towards meeting future budgets around the 2050 period. And the Greens recently launched a petition calling on Rail Minister Winston Peters to reinstate passenger rail services across the country. For our weekly catchup with the Green party, Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March to get the party's take on all of these issues.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the government's move to scrap same-day election enrolments, the Climate Change Commission's recent annual monitoring report on emissions reductions and the Greens petition to reinstate passenger rail services across the country. And for this week's Get Action! He spoke with Brandon Johnstone, a BDS coordinator at Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa about a petition calling on retailers and stockists to swap out SodaStream for more ethical alternatives. Max spoke with Dr Catherine Morgan from the University of Auckland, to talk about the new project to develop an AI tool that can predict dementia risk. Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke with Sadie Mills the invertebrate collection manager at Earth Sciences New Zealand about a study looking into deep sea species in Aotearoa's waters

New Zealand is at significant risk of missing its 2050 climate target, and the government's actions have increased the risk, according to independent monitoring. But the Climate Change Commission said there are big opportunities in renewable energy and clean farming that could help people, and the planet. Climate Change correspondent Eloise Gibson reports.

Welcome back Tony Blair. A new report he is a part of sees him joining the growing list who argue that Net Zero is doomed. Net Zero will be doomed whether we do anything about it. No one is going to jail if they don't reach Net Zero. It's just that we can avoid a lot of needless damage along the way by recognising it early and bailing, so our economies can be put back on some sort of level footing. Ironically, there is growing anger in Spain over this week's power blackout, with a lot of people blaming the renewable aspect of their supply chain. Spain is over 50% renewable, which is high for Europe. The people's argument being the higher the reliance on renewables the more fragile your grid is. Back here farmers are furious, once again, over the new settings for the ETS. We have gone from 50% to 51% reductions, only because Paris says each year you need to adjust up. So they adjusted the least they could. But they still acquiesced to what was signed up years ago when Net Zero was a bullish theory, not an economy sapping reality. The Climate Change Commission the other day put new targets for credits and pricing on the carbon auctions. They were completely different to last years, in a "we make it up because we don't know what's going on" kind of way. We have stumbled and bumbled our way through all of this, hurting our living standards. And to what end? Emissions are in fact down for New Zealand. Yay us. Is the world any better? No. Which is why Blair joins Kemi Badenoch in calling it all out. The Reform Party are booming, in no small part because they have called it all nonsense. So between Blair, Farage and Badenoch that's a lot of cross-political support to tip up an increasingly obvious dead-end idea. Like 'Me Too' and the cancel culture and all the other bandwagons that got fashionable, Net Zero is destined for the same end. Not that helping the planet isn't good or laudable. But what we didn't understand then, but clearly do now, is at what price? And are we prepared to pay it? Given the answer is no, a few more Blair, Badenoch, Farage-type voices here wouldn't go amiss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with the inspirational Jane Davidson, the former government minister who proposed the groundbreaking Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. We discuss how the Act came to be, the influence the legislation has had and why Wales is now being watched by countries around the world looking to follow its lead.Your Hosts:Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/Chloe Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-constable-24155821b/Website: https://www.grangeproject.co.ukPodcast Journey Page: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/wilder-podcast**Community Day Sign-up** https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/volunteers-dayThrivalism Episode: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/wilder-podcast/ep-038-thrivalism-with-tony-juniper-cbeGrange Project Contact & Social Media:Email: hello@grangeproject.co.ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/grange.project/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grangeprojectYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrangeProjectLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/Our Guest: Jane Davidson is an environmentalist, author and international speaker. From 2000 - 2011, Jane was Minister for Education, then Minister for Environment and Sustainability in the Welsh Government, where she proposed legislation to make sustainability the central organising principle; the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act came into law in 2015. She introduced the first plastic bag charge in the UK, and her recycling regulations took Wales to third best in the world. She created a Climate Change Commission for Wales, the post of Sustainable Futures Commissioner, and the Wales Coast Path. Website: https://janedavidson.wales/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-davidson-24070337/Listen out for:[00:00:00] Tom and Chloe update on the project, including an exciting update about the opening of the Grange Hub.[00:04:17] Jane introduces herself and the rich influences from her background.[00:13:23] We hear about the development of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, what it contains and what it means.[00:21:02] Chloe asks about how the act was received at a government level.[00:26:18] Tom questions Jane about examples of policy shifts associated with the act and she shares various examples, for example: universal basic income for care leavers,...

War - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. But this week we found out that defending the UK from it is going to cost us a lot of money. And the losers will be the world's poorest people - the money for Britain's boosted defence budget will come from foreign aid. Sir Ed Davey - leader of the Lib Dems - tells Coco he has an alternative: bigger taxes on big tech (and some other ideas). And Coco goes a bit Yoko Ono, wondering how we give peace a chance. Zoe Grunewald steps in for Nish as the pod asks what Macron can teach Starmer about Trump wrangling. And we send out a search for Kemi Badenoch… Has anyone seen her? As Ed Davey presents a credible opposition voice to the Government - the Tory leader is missing in action: last seen in a right wing podcast vortex.While Kemi Badenoch struggles to cut through, the Climate Change Commission has thought of an ingenious way to get us to act on net zero. The humble kebab.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSVOY:  https://www.joinvoy.com/psukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKGuestsEd Davey Zoë GrünewaldAudio CreditsUK GovPBS News ABC NewsPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uKInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

Dame Patsy Reddy, the former chair of New Zealand rugby and the new chair of the Climate Change Commission speaks to Kathryn Ryan

There's hopes the next Climate Change Commissioner can continue to hold the Government to account on climate action. Incumbent Rod Carr is leaving the role today after five years, having led the commission since its establishment in 2019. Carr says the nation is making progress - but it's not moving as quickly as it should be. "Our domestic emissions were always going to be bigger than what we claimed we would be entitled to take from the atmosphere. That was originally slated to be more than 200 million tonnes over this decade - it looks like that gap has closed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Commission has warned the world is not on track to limit warming to 1.5 degrees and wants New Zealand to up its game on climate action. Climate Change Commission Chair Dr Rod Carr spoke to Corin Dann.

Dr Rod Carr retires as chair of the Climate Change Commission later this week after five years in the role. 

Federated Farmers is calling for the Government to urgently distance itself from a radical new pine planting proposal released by the Climate Change Commission late last week. “The proposal would see large swathes of productive farmland sacrificed in the name of emission reductions,” says Federated Farmers meat and wool chair, Williams.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to part ways with a new pine planting proposal released by the Climate Change Commission last week. The proposal comes after the UN asked the Government to come up with a new 2035 Emission's Reduction Target by February. The Commission's suggestions would see large areas of farmland used for planting pine trees. Farmers say they need the land for productive farmland. Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chair Toby Williams tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the conversion will drive up NZ beef and lamb prices and force the country to become a net food importer. “We have to sacrifice everything. We have to sacrifice our nation, our rural people and our rural communities just so we can agree to a piece of paper that was signed in Paris.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is calling for the Government to urgently distance itself from a radical new pine planting proposal released by the Climate Change Commission. ANZ is not going to introduce climate targets for farming customers. And, voting has opened on a proposal from Kiwifruit marketer Zespri to increase plantings of SunGold in other countries. Host of The Country Jamie Mackay joins Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Raw Politics: Are we being governed now by a cadre of middle managers? People who won't stay in their lanes but need to be dipping into the detailed operations of government agencies and making the small decisions, well.Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder, Newsroom national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss the coalition's forked tongue approach to 'operational matters' in government departments and in relation to the boards of state companies.When the Prime Minister, no less, devotes his post-Cabinet press conference to whether public servants are working from home or gathering at offices, and shareholding ministers in Crown entities are wanting to be consulted on all manner of small value decisions, there's been a change of approach.Ministers will, with some justification, argue that an interventionist, hands-on management is needed given they can't trust the deep state to change itself adequately, fast enough.The panel discusses the sensitivities over New Zealand's foreign affairs stance on the latest UN vote on Israel - and whether in a three-party coalition if such vote-by-vote decision-making could, or should, be consulted on among party leaders before being actioned.Our reader question asks why the leader of a big bank has waded into the political quicksand of advocating a capital gains tax.Finally, the panelists recommend something to read, listen to or watch on the weekend ahead:--------------------This week's recommendations:Marc: Eloise Gibson's story on RNZ on the gas industry claiming it successfully lobbied to kill the Climate Change Commission's recommended ban on new residential gas connectionsSam: Thomas Manch's great story on The Post about NZ officials "war-gaming" the US election outcomeTim: Jonathan Milne's story on Newsroom simply setting out a growing list of those arguing in favour of a capital gains tax, and two important voices speaking against.--------------------Raw Politics will be available every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and here on YouTube.Read more on newsroom.co.nzhttps://newsroom.co.nz

The Climate Change Commission told members this week that climate adaptation is the “most difficult challenge this country faces over the next century.”

The Climate Change Minister believes slashing 24 million carbon credits will fix the struggling Emissions Trading Scheme. Companies buy the credits in quarterly auctions - to offset their pollution output. Repeated failures to sell credits triggered the Climate Change Commission to advise there are too many cheap units available, in order to drive down emissions. Minister Simon Watts says it's a simple supply and demand fix, but he can't speculate on the price implications. "What we've done here today is make sure we've put some credibility back into this market - which hasn't been the case in the past." Changes to unit numbers kick in from 2025. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Commission says New Zealand isn't adapting to the climate crisis fast enough and the status quo is unsustainable. Rod Carr chairs the Commission and he spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Benji Backer is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the country, and the author of The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future. A proud graduate of the University of Washington, Benji has been awarded the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30, and Grist 50. He serves as a board member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Climate Change Commission, the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum, and BridgeUSA. A frequent contributor to national media outlets, Benji is one of the leading youth environmental voices in the country. This week, Barrett talks with Benji about his early start in political activism inspired by John McCain, the intense bullying he faced in high school, and his efforts to bridge bipartisan divides in environmental advocacy. Benji shares his experiences with burnout and the difficult decision to step down from his leadership role at the ACC while continuing his mission toward nonpartisan environmental solutions. They discuss the dangers of perceived expertise without real experience, the necessity of adapting policies over time, and the importance of building bipartisan coalitions. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (04:17) - Burnout and stepping down as CEO (12:35) - Reflecting on leadership and personal growth (29:22) - The importance of bipartisan climate solutions (33:17) - Benji's brand of conservatism (40:24) - Bullying and opposition in school (56:55) - Bridging the political divide and finding solace in nature (01:04:38) - Building coalitions in politics (01:16:48) - Political sensationalism (01:21:35) - Understanding different perspectives (01:30:07) - Republicans and environmentalism (01:33:40) - Start local (01:40:28) - How to create change (01:46:51) - Making the environment nonpartisan (01:47:57) - Who Benji is becoming Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.

Welcome to ep 400!  I wanted to do something special and so asked two 9 year olds to sit and interview Dr Rod Carr who is the Climate Change Commissioner.  After all, they are inheriting the Earth so it felt right for them to ask the questions.  Big thanks to Isaac and Emily for asking the questions!!   If you like this why not subcribe and leave a rating and check out the 400 other episodes too!  www.theseeds.nz has a lot more as well. There is also a children's book called The Apple Tree that may interest you as well - info here. https://theseeds.nz/books/the-apple-tree/  Climate Change Commision site https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/  "Dr Rod Carr, Chairperson Dr Carr has extensive experience in both public and private sector governance and leadership. He served as Chair and non-executive director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and served as Deputy Governor and for a time Acting Governor of the Bank. Dr Carr was the founding Chair of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board and for over a decade was a non-executive director of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce. He led the University of Canterbury as Vice Chancellor for ten years, and holds a PhD in Insurance and Risk Management, an MA in Applied Economics and Managerial Science, an MBA in Money and Finance and honours degrees in law and economics."

The Climate Change Commission's first emissions reduction monitoring report says our plans and policies need to be urgently strengthened to meet climate targets. Commissioner Rod Carr spoke to Corin Dann.

Questions to Ministers KATIE NIMON to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen about tax relief for New Zealanders? TODD STEPHENSON to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent reports, if any, has he seen on Pharmac's obligations to consider the Treaty of Waitangi in its decisions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister of Climate Change: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's statement that "we are very confident we can grow the economy and deliver on our emissions targets and goals"; if so, is this consistent with the Climate Change Commission's independent finding released yesterday that "there are significant risks to meeting the second and third emissions budgets"? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about making it easier to build houses in New Zealand? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his decision to appoint a commissioner to Health New Zealand, and does he agree that "challenges with the operating model and governance of Health New Zealand had been identified from the early days of its establishment, in large part deriving from a lack of transparency from the Board", as stated in a Cabinet paper from 22 July? TOM RUTHERFORD to the Minister of Justice: What actions is the Government taking to ensure real consequences for crime? KAHURANGI CARTER to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by her statement regarding cuts to Oranga Tamariki that "There will be no financial impact and there'[ll] be no impact on the frontline services. This is a guarantee"? Hon Dr DEBORAH RUSSELL to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills: Does she stand by all her answers to oral question No. 10 on 30 July 2024, and oral question No. 5 on 8 May 2024; if not, why not? DAN BIDOIS to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent announcement has he made regarding the Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund?

The Climate Change Commission is floating the idea of bringing international shipping into the country's carbon-cutting targets. Climate Change Correspondent Eloise Gibson reports.

A new report from the Climate Change Commission warned New Zealand will need to tackle methane emissions to keep up with 2050 climate goals. The report warned that the nation would have to reduce stock rates by 23 percent for dairy, and 12 percent for sheep and beef by the 2050 deadline. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie unpacked the political debate surrounding methane emissions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's independent climate advisers said there are good reasons for New Zealand to increase its 2050 climate target. The Climate Change Commission said New Zealand's current effort doesn't meet international criteria for doing its fair share. Also, it says if the Government lowers methane targets, under a review announced last week, other sectors of the economy will have to do more. A third consultation document out today said New Zealand should consider bringing international aviation and shipping into its climate targets - two huge areas currently excluded. It is asking the public for feedback on raising the bar, or, on the flipside, whether there are good reasons why New Zealand should keep the target the same. RNZ's Climate Change correspondent Eloise Gibson speaks to Lisa Owen.

The Climate Change Commission says New Zealand should consider strengthening its 2050 climate target as it falls behind the more ambitious goals of other countries. The Commission has released three draft proposals for consultation. They concern the country's current net zero and methane 2050 targets, whether emissions from international aviation and shipping should be part of climate targets, and whether our emission budgets should be toughed up. Commission chair Rod Carr spoke to Corin Dann.

A push for clarity around the effects of New Zealand's soon to be updated climate goals.  The Climate Commission has released a draft emissions budget, which recommends limiting greenhouse gas by 134-million tonnes between 2036 and 2040.  Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford told Mike Hosking that at the moment they're just numbers, without much economic modelling around them.   He says it's needed so people know that if we get rid of petrol cars what this is going to look like and how the economy is shaped up to handle this.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is a North Otago farmer, and award-winning environmentalist, who's been going in to bat for farmers' property rights this morning and she explains why she's meeting with the Climate Change Commission this afternoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has been clear that it plans to rely on the Emissions Trading Scheme to meet climate targets. But according to the Climate Change Commission, the scheme will not be sufficient in its current form. In advice to government released yesterday, they say there is an over-supply of units. This means that large polluters - which buy the units to allow the release of planet-heating gases - often find it is cheaper to buy them than invest in ways to cut pollution. The Commision's chair, Dr Rod Carr, spoke to Morning Report.

The Government's being urged to decrease the number of carbon credits available to buy after four failed auctions last year.  The Climate Change Commission says there are too many credits on offer, and the problem is getting worse.  It also says the Government needs to clarify their plan for meeting climate targets.  Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr told Mike Hosking that there are enough units existing, so fewer are needed to be auctioned in the next four years.  He says the auctions only occur when there's a need, and last year participants already held units or bought them from secondary markets.  The Government's next auction is next Wednesday.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The carbon market is worth following, if for no other reason than it's a very good example of voodoo economics - and it's highly entertaining.  We talked yesterday to Steven Joyce about James Shaw's desire to have our liability on carbon emissions put into the books so we can all see what sort of effect it would have on our finances.  The key lines in Joyce's explanation were that we can't do that because we don't actually know what the figure is, remembering of course we promised to reduce emissions in the Paris Accord by a certain amount in a certain timeframe.  He also quite rightly pointed out that there is no one to pay it to, and the reason there is no one to pay it to is because the whole thing is invented. Which brings us back to the Climate Change Commission, who have put out their latest advice. And their latest advice advises the Government that they have their settings all wrong.  The previous Government had their settings all wrong as well, given the carbon auctions last year were a complete and utter bust. The carbon auctions happen four times a year but it's another invention - if you're a polluter you buy credits to offset your emissions.  The trouble was at each and every one of the auctions last year no one bought anything. Not one carbon credit. Nothing.  As each auction came and went the unsold credits got added to the next auction, so work out the ol' supply and demand equation and guess what happened? That's right - nothing.  Four auctions and not a single sale. The Government could have got $2billion-ish but they got nothing.  The commission says we need to do something about it because there are too many credits, there is too much uncertainty and we run the risk of not meeting our obligations.  Small question - what exactly happens if we don't meet our obligations? The answer, my bet, is nothing.  Very few, if anyone, is meeting their obligations. China certainly isn't, or America, or India, the world's actual polluters.  We have got ourselves caught up in a faux fight, with a market we invented, in a non-enforceable deal. All propped up by the idea that you should hand over money to an imaginary group, or organisation, or people if you burn coal.  Could it be the fact no credits were sold at our auctions last year and the commissions concerns over settings is largely because this is a scam? And when push comes to shove people don't mind espousing hot air about it, we love a bit of greenwashing.  It's just we are not so keen on handing over actual money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Commission has recommended reducing the number of carbon credits ahead of future auctions. After a full year of failed auctions, the Commission believes halving the number of credits to reduce oversupply is the right decision.  BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says fewer units will drive up the carbon price. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert is predicting James Shaw's next career move following his departure from the Greens. Shaw announced he'll step back as party co-leader- but stay on in Parliament for the first reading of his Right to a Sustainable Environment Bill. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie suspects James Shaw could eventually replace Rod Carr as Climate Change Commission chair. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Commission says New Zealand is not on track to meet its climate targets. The independent organisation's latest report discusses how the government can meet its emissions budgets - including the five-year budget covering 2026 to 2030. During that time the total quantity of New Zealand's emissions need to reduce by forty-three-point-five million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (43.5 MtCO2e) to stay on track for the net zero by 2050 target. But under the latest projections - calculated before the election - the policies and plans that were in place would fail to meet the budget by more than twenty tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (20 MtCO2e). The Commission's chair, Rod Carr, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss to explain some of the recommendations.

The Climate Change Commission's provided the government with advice on meeting climate goals.   Its 27 recommendations include supporting swapping from fossil fuels to renewable energy, encouraging switching to electric vehicles, and retrofitting buildings to be healthier and lower emissions.  Commission Chair Rod Carr told Mike Hosking that the Government's committed to New Zealand's climate targets and has been clear it'll make different policy choices.   He says the Commission's providing advice on the direction of policy, but at the end of the day, it's the elected leaders who will make the choices.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party is pushing for a Healthy Ocean Act in the next three years if it is part of the next Government, saying without a healthy ocean, there is no healthy planet. The policy would see a third of New Zealand's ocean waters protected from fishing, mining and other destructive industries by 2030. The Greens would also introduce new legislation establishing an Ocean Commission, to work with iwi, hapū, councils, communities, and the public to advise the government on ocean policy, in the same way the Climate Change Commission advises on climate matters. Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Government has released its draft plan for the Emissions Trading Scheme to incentivise greater emissions reductions instead of just planting trees. The scheme is a government-run market where polluters buy credits to emit.Under current settings it is cheaper to for firms to buy credits from tree planting rather than actually cutting pollution. The Climate Change Commission believes the ETS in its current form is a threat to achieving the country's reduction targets. Hamish tells Kathryn the Government wants public feedback on its plan, as well as on how to treat permanent forests planted in order to sell credits on the scheme.

The government needs to take more urgent and bold actions on climate change, or risk missing its own emissions targets for 2026 to 2030 according to the Climate Change Commission. The Commission says there needs to be quicker action on new renewable energy generation and electric vehicle charging infrastructure; more investment in public transport; direct funding for Maori to support emissions reduction; more support for farmers to transition, and a faster transition away from burning coal for heating in factories, schools and hospitals. The Commission also takes aim at the Emissions Trading Scheme saying it makes getting to net zero far too reliant on forestry instead of making real cuts to emissions. Kathryn speaks with Climate Change Commissioner, Dr Rod Carr.

The Climate Change Commission says current government policies do not go hard or fast enough on cutting damaging gases. That's one of the messages from the Commission which today released its draft advice for how to slash emissions in the second half of this decade. The report covers what the Commission views are the most critical areas that urgently need to be strengthened. Our climate reporter Hamish Cardwell has been wading through the nearly 200 page report.  

The Climate Change Commission is warning decision makers that we can't plant our way out of trouble. It's released draft recommendations to the Government for the next Emissions Reduction Plan, and wants the focus shifted away from forestry as the default method. Instead, it wants the Government to pick up the pace on policies which directly cut emissions, such as renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, cycleway development, and public transport investment. Climate Change Minister James Shaw spoke to Corin Dann.

The Government is being advised to speed up on climate action if it wants to meet its own emissions target to be carbon neutral by 2050. The Climate Change Commission has released a 200 page draft report recommending faster progress of renewable energy, more charging stations for electric vehicles, cycleway development, and public transport. It wants tree-planting excluded from the targets. James Renwick, a climate scientist and one of the commissioners, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.