While New Zealand has a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, net zero emissions can be achieved without transformative change through measures which merely seek to offset emissions. New Zealand has continued to garner criticism for inaction on climate change and was recently excluded from the Climate Ambition Summit. This raises the question of whether New Zealand’s climate policy reflects the urgency of the situation. Hanna Thompson spoke to James Renwick, a climate scientist from Victoria University, about the efficacy of offsetting emissions through tree planting and whether we should instead seek to reduce emissions.
James Renwick is a Professor of Physical Geography at Victoria University. He is an expert in climate change.
Podcast:
This interview originally aired on 95bFM’s weekly news and current affairs show The Wire. For more stories like this, click here.
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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guest and not necessarily the views of The Big Q.
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