John Key's “breathtaking display of hypocrisy”

Fossil fuel subsidies total $ 5.3 trillion / year

John Key poised to hand out more oil drilling permits in wake of Paris climate talks

In a “breathtaking display of hypocrisy”, John Key is preparing to dish out new oil exploration permits just days after returning from the Paris climate change conference.

Greenpeace,

December 9, 2015

Greenpeace Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, says he expects the Government will announce the latest round of these oil ‘block offers’ before the end of the year.

“In Parliament you can’t call someone a hypocrite, but what other word makes any sense of a Prime Minister who stands on the world stage and says he cares about climate change and then comes home and approves plans to find and burn huge stores of underground carbon? That is breathtaking hypocrisy,” he says.

“John Key’s job should be to present a tangible plan to help combat climate change and protect our children’s future, but instead he’s doling out permits to look for the very oil that we can’t burn without irreversibly wrecking the climate.”

Traditionally, the block offers are almost always declared during the last sitting week of Parliament before Christmas, which is this week.

Based on previous announcements, it’s likely that hundreds of thousands more square kilometres of New Zealand water will be handed to foreign petroleum giants for oil exploration.

Norman says it would be a disaster for New Zealand and its reputation.

“There is one thing John Key can do to have some credibility on climate change: Cancel the oil exploration agenda immediately,” he says.

Since August, dozens of communities around the country have joined together to pressure their local councils to “block the offer” and say “no” to oil exploration.

Christchurch, Dunedin and Kaikoura City Councils listened to their constituents and voted in favour of telling Central Government that oil surveying is not welcome in their waters. Auckland Council was evenly split with Len Brown’s vote in favour of oil drilling breaking the deadlock.

At the Paris climate conference, the New Zealand Government was criticised for its inadequate offer to reduce its contribution to global climate change. It even picked up the very first ‘Fossil of the Day Award’, a booby prize given out by global NGO coalition, Climate Action Network.

At the talks, Pacific Island nations have been forced to form an alliance with the EU and against New Zealand and the block of countries trying to prevent a binding and ambitious agreement.

And just last night, the world’s annual Climate Change Performance Index was released, revealing that of the 58 countries ranked for climate change performance, New Zealand came in 42nd - a significant drop from 35th last year.

Just 10 days ago in Paris Key called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies

NZ to commit up to $200m on climate change

New Zealand will commit up to $200 million to support countries' climate change efforts - and $20 million toward ground-breaking research to slash agricultural greenhouse gases.

Prime Minister John Key announced the new funding at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21), where close to 200 nations are meeting to thrash out a new agreement to tackle global emissions.

Mr Key told delegates New Zealand would provide up to $200 million for climate-related support over the next four years, the majority of which will benefit Pacific nations.

Key: World must end fossil fuel subsidies

In Paris, Mr Key also presented the UN with a message from close to 40 countries calling for the removal of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

The Friends of Fossil Subsidy Reform Communique was endorsed by nations including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A number of New Zealand businesses and business organisations have also backed the Communique, including Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Shippers Council, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mighty River Power and Fonterra.

Mr Key said phasing out fossil fuel subsidies was "absolutely vital" if the world was to succeed in substantially reducing emissions