Auckland, Oct. 31 (BNA) New Zealand pledged on Sunday to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, and at the start of the COP26 United Nations climate conference reiterated its earlier ambitions to curb global warming.
Leaders of the 20 richest countries are expected to recognize the existential threat of climate change and take steps to curb global warming at the COP26 summit starting Sunday evening in Glasgow, Scotland.
“While we are a small contributor to global emissions, as a country surrounded by oceans and an economy dependent on our land, we are not immune to the impact of climate change, so it is critical that we put our weight on,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. statement, according to Reuters.
Ardern and Climate Change Minister James Shaw said in their joint statement that the previous target was inconsistent with global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels.
New Zealand’s previous goal was to cut emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
The 2015 Paris Agreement obligated signatories to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, preferably 1.5 degrees, but atmospheric carbon levels have since grown.
“This contract is made or broken for the planet,” Shaw said in the statement. “To stand a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, science shows we now have about eight years to halve global greenhouse gas emissions.”
The New Zealand government introduced several policies to reduce emissions during its second term, including a promise to make its public sector carbon-neutral by 2025 and only purchasing zero-emissions public transport buses from the middle of this decade.
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