Read the Q&A by Herald environment writer Eloise Gibson in full here.
An excerpt:
NZH: Will the Government announce new targets for reducing emissions before Copenhagen?
TG: “That is a decision for the Cabinet. Based on the latest figures, New Zealand’s emissions are massively in excess of our Kyoto obligations. In that context, taking on even more ambitious targets is a tough ask. But we have not rejected it and we will watch and see what happens over the course of this year.”
Was December’s climate change conference in Poznan, Poland, useful?
TG: “I thought it was pretty disappointing. A road map had been laid out (in Bali in 2007) to achieve a new treaty within two years. Poznan, as a half-way point, fell well short of that. I’ve reached the conclusion the best that can be achieved in Copenhagen is some type of framework agreement.”