New Zealand Outlines Steps to Offset

By The Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand's government outlined a series of steps Tuesday toward its goal of becoming the world's first nation to fully compensate for its production of gases that contribute to global warming. Prime Minister Helen Clark last year set New Zealand the ambitious goal of becoming the world's first greenhouse gas-neutral country, meaning that carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming are offset through a variety of means, such as the planting of trees or funding of energy-efficient technology.

Clark told Parliament on Tuesday that the nation needs "to be part of the solution to the world's biggest problems — and certainly not a reluctant last mover." Stepping up to the challenge of creating a sustainable future "is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do," she told lawmakers as she outlined priorities for 2008.

These included passing laws to implement a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme and ensure clean-burning biofuels make up a minimum of 3.4 percent of the fuel sold in the country by 2012, replacing gasoline and diesel. "In our own economic interests we have to move or face significant barriers in key (foreign) markets where consumers increasingly make ethical choices" about the goods and services they buy, she said in a statement.

This was a reference to a "food miles" campaign in Europe in which consumers are choosing food from local producers to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by transportation. The campaign is likely to impact New Zealand goods produced 19,000 kilometers (12,0000 miles) away from Europe's wealthy markets.

New Zealand has set a target of a carbon-neutral transport sector by 2040 and a carbon-neutral electricity generating sector by 2025. Already, nearly 70 percent of the nation's electrical supply comes from renewable resources, such as hydroelectric, geothermal and wind generation.

Clark has likened the threat of climate change to that of a nuclear holocaust during the Cold War, and has said New Zealand must lead the way in combatting it. Clark proposed a green path to the future based on sustainable growth, carbon neutrality, sharply lower greenhouse gas output and helping ordinary households fight climate change, cut waste and improve energy efficiency.

She told lawmakers Tuesday that new plans for sustainable land and fresh water management would be rolled out to help land-based industries — half the nation's economy — "improve (their) environmental performance ... and assist them to adapt to a changing climate." Clark also pledged New Zealand would play "a full part in international negotiations for a comprehensive post-2012 agreement on climate change" to replace the Kyoto Protocol, due to end that year.

New Zealand is now recognized "as a leading nation in stepping up to the sustainability challenge," she told the lawmakers.

To be continue in other article...

(Jakarta, Kamis 21 February 2008, 07.39 pagi)

Re-publish by Jacob Paradox from link (www.routers.com),(www.iht.com), (www.routers.com), (www.nytimes.com