WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has set itself apart from neighbouring Australia by declaring climate change a top priority. But despite some lofty goals, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise in the South Pacific nation and could do so for years to come. New Zealand Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who will travel to Poland on Sunday to attend U.N. climate talks, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he expects emissions to peak by 2025 and only then start to decline. Under the terms of the Paris climate agreement, New Zealand is supposed to reduce its emissions by 30 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. Shaw said New Zealand has taken a more bipartisan approach to climate change than in Australia, where he said successive leaders have failed on the issue.

Source: National Post December 07, 2018 10:09 UTC