New Zealand Leads

New Zealand proves once again, that it is one of the world’s most progressive nations.  The island nation’s parliament passed landmark legislation that will allow it to meet the goals set forth in the Paris climate agreement.  The good news here is that New Zealand is showing how a nation can come together and put policies in place to serve the common good of the planet.  The bad news is that this vote occurred just days after the United States began the formal process of exiting the Paris agreement. 

The climate change response (zero carbon) amendment bill passed on Thursday afternoon with the centre-right opposition National party throwing their support behind it late in the day, despite none of their proposed amendments being accepted. The bill passed 119 votes to one.

Climate change minister James Shaw said the bill, which commits New Zealand to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees, provided a framework for the island country of nearly 5 million to adapt too, and prepare for the climate emergency.

“Climate change is the defining long-term issue of our generation that successive governments have failed to address. Today we take a significant step forward in our plan to reduce New Zealand’s emissions.”

For perspective – New Zealand has a population of 5 million and a GDP of 206 billion dollars (USD).  Los Angeles County in California has a population of 10 million and a GDP of 700 billion dollars (USD). 

New Zealand can set the example, but public opinion in the rest of the world must demand that we follow their example.