Key will go to Copenhagen after all

Thursday 3rd December 2009

Prime Minister John Key has bowed to the inevitable and will attend the leaders' meeting scheduled for the last two days of the Copenhagen global climate change summit.

Key will travel to Copenhagen for the meeting on December 17 and 18 after weeks of insisting that there was no clear need for him to attend.

However, that position became untenable as the list of world leaders pledging to be in the Danish capital grew, particularly after US President Barack Obama said he would attend and would press for a binding agreement with "immediate effect".

While the details of a post-Kyoto Protocol deal on global greenhouse gas emissions reduction is expected to take many more months to hammer out, a leaders' pact committing to action on climate change would carry moral force and maintain momentum in an issue that is finding increasingly stony ground among voters in both developing and developed economies.

The most potent local example of this is the rejection by the Australian Senate of the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and the dumping of the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, in favour of Tony Abbott, who has recently described climate change as "crap".

“I have reassessed our position and taken advice from our negotiating team,” said Key. “I have decided that on balance it makes sense for me to be there for the leaders’ meeting.

“The circumstances have changed in recent weeks. While it’s unlikely a binding agreement will be reached at Copenhagen, political momentum is growing which is why in recent weeks a lot more leaders have indicated they will be attending.

“By my absence I wouldn’t want to give the impression that New Zealand isn’t committed to playing its part in the fight against climate change.

“The fact is that the Government is committed to doing something about climate change, balancing our environmental responsibilities with our economic opportunities.

“We go to Copenhagen with a settled emissions trading scheme on the books, a credible mid-term emissions target, and talented and knowledgeable representation at the negotiations in the form of ministers Tim Groser and Nick Smith.

“Important decisions may be made in Copenhagen and it is important that I am there alongside other leaders so New Zealand has input at the highest level," Key said.

Businesswire.co.nz

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