Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says Paris Agreement participation ‘crucial’ for NZ after deputy PM Winston Peters calls it a ‘flight of futility’

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says New Zealand cannot afford to pull out of the Paris Agreement despite Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters suggesting otherwise.

The deputy PM and NZ First leader criticised NZ’s involvement in the international climate treaty during his speech at NZ First’s State of the Nation event in Christchurch on Sunday.

Watts told interest.co.nz on Monday evening Peters’ comments on the Paris Agreement were said in his capacity as leader of NZ First, and NZ needed to participate in the international climate treaty.

“Our participation protects our trade access and our farmers’ trade access. As a small, exporting nation who exports over 80% of its agricultural production, our participation is crucial,” he said.

“We cannot risk losing access to valuable export markets which are the backbone of our economy and farming communities.”

Watts said NZ does have a lower emissions profile compared to other nations with larger economies – but that didn’t mean NZ’s efforts to combat climate change through the Paris Agreement will have no impact.

“Through this system, progress is being made,” he said. “The Paris Agreement has already brought global warming down from the 4 degrees projected prior to the agreement.”

During his speech on Sunday, Peters said some of the world’s largest economies have no intention of following through with their commitments to the Paris Agreement.

“That means that no matter what we do, our [NZ’s] sacrifice will make no difference,” he said.

Peters, who is also NZ’s Foreign Affairs Minister, said NZ should be investing into its own environment “instead of draining our money offshore, into foreign economies”.

NZ is one of 196 countries that signed up to the Paris Agreement, the legally binding international climate change treaty that came into force in 2016. NZ joined under the then National Government.

Countries who have signed up to the Agreement have a commitment to limit climate change.

Peters said on Sunday that more than half of the world’s CO₂ emissions come from just four countries – China, United States, Russia, and India. NZ’s emissions amount to 0.17% of all global emissions according to the Climate Change Commission.

Although the US has now left the Paris Agreement for a second time (both times having happened under Trump administrations), China, Russia and India are still in the Paris Agreement.

Peters said China or the US “could sneeze and produce more CO₂ overnight than we do in a year” and NZ was “punishing” farmers, taxpayers and the country’s economy.

“We need to stop this idealistic flight of futility,” he said.

Peters isn’t the only coalition party leader to question NZ’s involvement in the Paris Agreement. 

Act Party leader and soon-to-be deputy Prime Minister David Seymour told Newstalk ZB in February the Government should consider withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. 

It means two of the three political parties that make up the Coalition Government are in favour of leaving the Paris Agreement.

Interest.co.nz asked the Climate Change Commission for comment on Peters’ climate remarks. The Commission is the independent Crown entity that provides the Government of the day with advice on climate change policy.

“The Commission’s role is to provide independent, impartial, expert advice to the Government. Our core work programme is set out in the Climate Change Response Act 2002 legislation. The Government has choices on what decisions it makes, the Commission’s advice helps them understand different choices and how they add up,” a Commission spokesperson replied.

“Under its obligations in the Climate Change Response Act, the Commission’s advice must be based on delivering an economically and technically achievable, and socially just transition to net zero by 2050.”