May 09, 2019
Kaitaiki principles need to be in climate response
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a spirit of kaitiakitanga needs to underpin New Zealand’s approach to climate change.
The Government yesterday revealed details of the Zero Carbon Bill, including targets of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a 10 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030.
She says the briefing on the Bill included a video with comments from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s Ngarimu Blair.
"He said if we’d always, as a nation and in fact as a world principles of kaitiakitanga what kind of conversation would we be having now? It would probably be a very different one. The need to continue to adopt those Māori principles when it comes to our relationship with the environment will just continue to be even more important. It's just a shame we haven't done more of that up until now," Ms Ardern says.
While some commentators have said the bill doesn’t go far enough and the proposed Climate Change Commission is all bark and no bite, Ms Ardern says in the New Zealand political environment it is important to build consensus so the programme isn’t undermined by a future Government.
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