Coal Action Network Aotearoa sharply criticised the Climate Change Commission’s decision to double projected coal use in 2050 in its final advice to the Government, released today.

“The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the Government is full of brave words about the need to phase out coal,” said Coal Action Network Aotearoa spokesperson Tim Jones. “But brave words mean nothing without the determination to act – and since its draft report, it looks like the Commission’s nerve has failed.”

“In the draft advice, the Commission showed coal use continuing at 10 PJ/yr right up to 2050. Continuing to use coal, the world’s most dangerous fossil fuel, up to 2050 is utterly irresponsible in a climate emergency. CANA wants coal phased out by 2027.”

“But the final advice is even worse. It appears NZ Steel have got in the Commission’s ear and persuaded the Commission that their antiquated, polluting technology should be allowed to continue at even higher levels past 2050 – in fact, at twice the level in the draft advice.”

“This is terrible advice,” Tim Jones said. “Alternatives to using coal to make steel exist, and will be available well before 2050. This backsliding by the Commission shows that we need as a country to have a real debate about alternatives for coal for high-temperature industrial processes, instead of allowing vested interests like NZ Steel to sweet-talk the Commission into allowing coal a future that is bad for Aotearoa and bad for the planet.”

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PRESS RELEASE

“We’re disappointed and frustrated at the lack of urgency in the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan discussion document,” said Tim Jones of Coal Action Network Aotearoa, the national group campaigning for an end to coal mining and use in Aotearoa.

“In fact, this isn’t even a plan – it’s a grab-bag of generally underwhelming proposals submitted by Ministers and Ministries. None reflect the urgency of the climate crisis, especially given the government has declared a Climate Emergency.”

“Agriculture, which represents almost 50% of New Zealand’s emissions, is dealt with in just four pages – that tells you all you need to know about the Government’s lack of climate ambition, and the Minister of Agriculture’s refusal to cooperate with the Government’s emissions reduction goals.”

“Coal is the highest-emitting fossil fuel, yet this draft document would let coal mining and burning continue for decades,” Tim Jones said.

“The Government is still giving big industrial emitters massive subsidies, in the form of free industrial allocations of carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme, paid for by taxpayers, to keep burning coal and other fossil fuels: there’s no commitment to phase out those subsidies.

“The Government is also continuing to let Fonterra set the timetable for phasing out industrial coal boilers, instead of telling Fonterra to shape up. Letting big emitters continue to burn coal as long as they want isn’t a plan – it’s a failure of policy and a failure of nerve.”

“Aotearoa needs and deserves vision and leadership on climate action and climate justice,” Tim Jones said. “We need a real plan of action, with a strategy, milestones, and measurable deliverables.”

“The Prime Minister has spoken frequently about her commitment to strong action on climate change. This draft document shows that all too many of her Ministers don’t share that commitment.

It’s up to the community to step into the breach during the submission period and make it impossible for the Government to ignore the clamour for real, meaningful, measurable emissions reductions – and it’s up to the Prime Minister to get her Ministers on board and in line.

Let’s turn this into a real plan to reduce emissions and respond to the climate emergency.”

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26 July 2020– Coal Action Network Aotearoa today gave a cautious welcome to the Government’s announcement of a $70 million investment to increase electrification of industrial and process heat in the lower South Island.

“Continued mining and burning of coal and other fossil fuels in the midst of a climate crisis is criminal,” said Tim Jones of Coal Action Network Aotearoa. “So we welcome the news that the Government is making a commitment to replace coal-burning heat plant in the South Island with renewable sources of energy.”

“However, major concerns remain. Firstly, we have too many cows, polluting too much water and using way too much synthetic fertiliser – all of which is a major contributor to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Along with replacing coal, we need to be moving agriculture away from the present industrial dairying model which has done so much harm.

Secondly, using biomass sourced from wood waste is another source of renewable energy provided forests are replanted – and it frees up electricity for other uses. We hope the Government will not neglect the role of sustainably sourced biomass in replacing fossil fuels.”

Turning to the Government’s announcement of a $30 million investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, Tim Jones said “We do need more storage so we can shut down Huntly’s coal plant, and we shouldn’t even be thinking about new gas as backup, but we are being cautious right now because we are unclear about the impacts, including the effect on the Teviot flathead, a highly endangered native galaxiid fish. Also, the water from this scheme must not be used for irrigation to create yet more dairy farms in country that is not suitable for dairying.”

“Is it time we stopped mining and burning coal in Aotearoa? Absolutely. But in replacing coal, we need to make sure that we’re not creating other environmental problems,” said Tim Jones.

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