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New Zealand, Australian ministers to share ideas on climate change action

Xinhua, August 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

New Zealand Climate Change Issues Minister Paula Bennett will travel to Australia this week to share insights on reducing emissions with counterparts in Canberra.

"The trans-Tasman relationship is incredibly important, and we have many mutual interests when it comes to advocating for global climate change interests," Bennett said on Tuesday.

Bennett would meet with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, and Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Greg Hunt.

"I'm looking forward to discussing New Zealand's investments in agricultural research and energy efficiency, and reinforcing our commitment to ratify the Paris agreement this year," she said.

The New Zealand government announced earlier this month that it would ratify the Paris agreement on climate change by the end of the year.

Under the agreement, reached in December last year, each nation was required to set an emissions reduction target, with New Zealand committing to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below the 2005 levels by 2030.

The government planned to finalize ratification before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in November.

However, environment campaigners have questioned whether the government is serious about honoring the agreement, saying its policies include supporting the intensification of dairy farming and enabling taxes on renewable energies.

The Greenhouse Gas Inventory released in May showed New Zealand's emissions were at their highest since 1990 and had increased 23 percent in 24 years. Endit