Conference Communique
10th Australia – New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference, Auckland
Delegates at a climate and business conference in Auckland are calling for a statutory climate commission to set and monitor New Zealand’s carbon budgets.
The 10th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference has passed a resolution supporting the concepts outlined in the Zero Carbon Act campaign led by the Generation Zero youth climate lobby group.
The move followed speeches to the conference by retiring Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright and the chair of the United Kingdom’s Climate Committee, Rt Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, endorsing the climate commission proposal.
The conference also heard calls from business leaders for certainty over climate policy.
The conference was organised by the Environmental Defence Society. Chief Executive Gary Taylor says support among the business leaders and others at the conference for a climate commission was overwhelming.
“We will now communicate the resolution to political leaders,” he said.
“The election results show that progress on addressing climate change is a top-of-mind concern for a large number of New Zealanders and the creation of a climate commission is the single most important step forward.”
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