Climate Change

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• ACT supports dismantling the Emissions Trading Scheme.
• If a mitigation scheme is to be put in place, it should be a simple and transparent carbon tax. (more here)

• Establish an independent Climate Commission to provide expert and independent advice to the government on carbon prices, carbon budgets, and complementary measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
• Phase out the failed Emissions Trading Scheme and instead put a meaningful price on carbon through a charge on polluters.
• Recycle all revenues raised from a carbon charge back to families through a $2,000 income tax-free band a 1 percent company tax cut. Households will be on average $319 better off every year with the Climate Tax Cut.
• Introduce a suite of complementary measures to reduce New Zealand's emissions and make the transition to a low carbon economy. (more here)

• Establish an independent Climate Commission, which would establish a carbon budgeting process for achieving significant emissions reduction targets.
• Restore the ETS so it puts an effective price on carbon, so that we move away from carbon-polluting goods and services towards low or zero-carbon options.
• Seek to play a leading role in international climate change negotiations for binding reductions in greenhouse gases, in a comprehensive and effective treaty. (more here)

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• Work with international partners to put in place a new comprehensive new Global Agreement by the end of 2015.
• Help New Zealand scientists and experts contribute to other international climate change research efforts.
• Continue to support highly vulnerable small island states in the Pacific.
• Re-Boot the Afforestation Grant Scheme, investing $22.5 million over five years to encourage and support the planting of new forests. (more here)

• Oppose the New Zealand Emissions Trading System (ETS) as it has failed to deliver significant emissions reductions and there is no sign it is encouraging industry transition. In addition, it is counterproductive to pay polluting companies large taxpayer subsidies with no requirements on them to reduce emissions.
• Support the establishment of a formal planning process to develop strategies, plans, research programmes and targets to achieve fossil carbon reduction relevant to New Zealand (the UK already does this under the 2008 UK Climate Change Act).This will involve consultation and debate between government, the business community, universities and other sectors to ensure that the process will be independent and non-partisan.
• Support ‘net metering’ whereby electricity retailers will be required to purchase power generated by customers at the price it is normally sold to the customer. This is because customer generation is becoming increasingly attractive as the cost of generating electricity from renewable sources falls such as solar power. (more here)

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