New Zealand Announces New Bill With A Target of Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050

A new bill has been introduced in New Zealand that has a target to reach of zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

A new bill has been introduced in New Zealand that has a target to reach of zero carbon emissions by 2050. The country’s climate change minister, James Shaw, said the government was inspired by the strike of tens of thousands of New Zealand school students in March. They were protesting the lack of action the country had taken on climate change. 

There has been some opposition from the agricultural sector due to a part of the bill the targets reduction of methane in their industry. The bill has a target of 10% reduction in biological methane by 2030 and then a “provisional reduction of between 24%-47% by 2050,” meaning it will be subject to review by the independent climate change commission. Shaw said:

 “The zero carbon bill outlines our plan to safeguard the future that those school students will inherit. The critical thing is to do everything we can over the next 30 years to limit global warming to no more than 1.5C and the zero carbon bill makes that a legally binding objective.”