Climate Change: Time To Step Up, Kiwis!
Enspiral’s submission to the Ministry for the Environment on setting
New Zealand’s post-2020 climate change target
Who is Enspiral?
Enspiral is a Wellington-born network of over 200 entrepreneurs building social enterprises. We work on complex issues such as equality, democracy, youth wellbeing, collaboration, organisational transparency, civic engagement and climate change. We’re using the tools of business to create a more thriving society and healthier environment.
Our 14 ventures work on the cutting edge of digital technology, social networks, education and cultural technology. Enterprises underneath the Enspiral banner include Enspiral Coworking Space, Loomio, Chalkle, Rabid Technologies, Enspiral Legal, Enspiral Accounting, Enspiral Dev Academy and Metric Engine. We’re creating jobs, and our impact and customer base are growing here and internationally.
What do we want?
- The Enspiral Network wants Aotearoa New Zealand to be a world leader on climate change mitigation and demonstrate innovative, achievable pathways to zero emissions.
- Aotearoa New Zealand needs to forge a pathway to zero net annual greenhouse gas emissions and inspire other nations to follow suit.
- A well-funded, participatory national public consultation on climate change. The consultation should focus on exploring regional opportunities for emissions reduction; including opportunities for efficient smart transport solutions, clean energy generation and consumption, business ventures building on clean technology, low-emissions agriculture techniques and water security.
Why should New Zealand
stick its neck out?
Beyond the direct effects to New Zealanders, climate change is the number one threat to worldwide human health (World Health Organisation). We are morally obliged to mitigate our climate impacts as fast as possible, especially as our Pacific neighbours are some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The world needs to get to zero net emissions by 2100 to avoid a dangerous temperature increase. However, countries across the world have been far too slow to take appropriate action — we need leadership. Let us be among the leaders.
It is important that New Zealand sets a precedent internationally on reducing emissions, demonstrating to the world a vision for a low-carbon world. It is important for New Zealand to be respected in the international community. As an island nation heavily reliant on exports and tourism, it’s imperative we build strong relationships with international partners.
New Zealand is well positioned to lead: we are a small, stable, relatively wealthy country with amazing renewable resources. Our absolute emissions are small in the world context, making it much easier for us to ‘turn the ship around’ than many other nations. We can demonstrate what’s possible and be an innovation hub for the global transition beyond a fossil-fuelled economy. There are 85 other countries under 5 million population; we can demonstrate the change that’s needed, and inspire other countries to act.
Additionally, we can benefit from leading. The clean technology sector could be worth up to NZ$22 billion per year, if we take advantage of it (PricewaterhouseCoopers). There is an opportunity for New Zealand to create technology, efficiency improvements and business and investment models, and export that expertise to other countries to use to transition to a low carbon economy. The jobs of the future are renewable — not extractive.
Punch above our weight:
agree on a date for zero
Let’s decide by what date we can aim to achieve zero net annual emissions. Let’s talk about how to achieve it with all New Zealanders. Let’s build cross-party, cross-demographic, cross-region, cross-sector consensus on the target date for zero, and begin incentivising initiatives to make this happen.
We at Enspiral want to be part of a country that leads the way; peaking fast and aiming for zero, not merely doing the bare minimum. Doing “our fair share” has nothing to do with our small contribution to global emissions. New Zealand has a strong history of punching above our weight on moral and human rights issues — for instance on nuclear-free, the Springbok Tour and women’s suffrage. We as a society have risen to face huge challenges in the past, and and we can do it again.
Cover image: Aidan Wojtas / Flickr
