Environment Policy
Our clean, green environment is our number one asset. The principles of stewardship, creativity and innovation go hand in hand to shape our environment policy and will define a co-equal balance between profitability and sustainability. This will require an improvement in stewardship practices toward our environment. We believe positive, constructive environmental change starts at home, and as such we will work to preserve and improve the condition of water, soil, flora and fauna in Aotearoa. As the science around anthropogenic (human caused) climate change, and the adverse role of carbon dioxide emissions in climate change is far from settled, we will engage with the international community around emerging science and research, but we will not be directly funding, or make commitments to international initiatives such as the Kyoto protocol, Paris 2015 agreement, or any other internationally directed initiatives around the management of the environment within our sovereign border.
One Party supports;
- Responsible stewardship of the resources afforded us as a nation. We desire the restoration of our waterways and the Whenua(land) to a healthy, productive state which will continue to serve our children, and our children’s children, for generations to come.
- The reduction in harmful practices that degrade the quality of our natural resources, such as excessive use of nitrates in fertilising land.
- Responsible farming practices and will remove the imposition of any targeted reduction of carbon emissions.
- Responsible harvesting of natural resources, which include hydrocarbon, coal, and mineral resources.
- The development of a commercial pest control industry, which is responsible for managing Possum, Rabbit and other small pest populations that does not involve widespread unfettered use of 1080. New technology around trapping/harvesting and the use of pelts and other by-product from this industry will be supported.
- Wise management and protection of marine resources.
- Services such as composting and recycling in all regions this is achieved by partnering with local government and schools.
ONE Party will;
- Rigorously pursue clean food, pure water, clean air and a clean environment and sustainable, secure energy resources. Stewardship of our environment is crucial to all of us. Industrial polluters will face substantial penalties to help them change their practices and behaviour.
- Phase out all subsidies on alternative energy systems and products within five years.
- Support the use of Clean Coal technologies, for power generation and for heating systems in schools, hospitals, etc. Aotearoa New Zealand creates approx. 80% of its energy consumed by renewable resources, largely by hydro, with some geothermal and other minor additions. We will support more competition in the energy markets to help lower energy costs for all.
- Withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and investigate how best we can assist those nations to clean up their practices, as well as the oceans, in a practicable and economic way.
- Will work with stakeholders to find ways to bring new and innovative ideas into the stewardship of our natural resources.
Notes:
The concept of sustainability is noble on the surface. One of the commonly used and widely adopted definitions of sustainable development is ‘meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Essentially, sustainability is about the relationship between people and planet; remembering that we are inextricably part of this planet, and that our societies (including economies) depend upon healthy biological and physical systems. (https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/life/sustainability/what-is-sustainability/)
