This morning at COP26, Climate Action Network International awarded New Zealand a "Fossil of the Day" - its award to recognise countries that have done the most to block or undermine progress in the negotiations.

The draft COP26 decision calls on all countries to step up their climate pledges next year to bring them into line with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals, but Climate Change Minister James Shaw told media that "it doesn't mean you have to", and that the call doesn't apply to New Zealand.

Especially given New Zealand's influential position as a co-facilitator of transparency negotiations at COP26, the international community is concerned these comments undermine efforts to encourage all countries to do more, and could embolden other countries to also claim the expectation doesn't apply to them.

350 Aotearoa - Alva Feldmeier, Executive Director

"James Shaw's comment 'it doesn't mean we have to' in response to discussions to increase NDCs is a betrayal to our Pacific Island neighbours who are not only at the frontlines of the climate crisis but have largely been excluded from COP26.

"This outrageous comment on a world stage follows numerous decisions and announcements that show that the New Zealand government is not committed to doing its fair share to reduce emissions and keep global warming to preferably 1.5 degrees - the final word is not spoken. The people of Aotearoa will continue to push back and call on the government to rectify our NDC without heavily relying on the climate colonial practices of carbon markets."

Coal Action Network Aotearoa - Cindy Baxter, Campaigner
"James Shaw proudly announced NZ would “stand with the Pacific” when he left for COP26, but it’s turned out to be more like standing ON the Pacific.

“The Pacific and small island states are fighting for their lives, trying to get the strongest possible agreement, including mechanisms in the Paris rulebook that has at its heart cutting the most emissions possible. Shaw and his team have done their best to undermine the integrity of the Paris rules, as they have all along PM Arden’s nuclear free moment on climate’s gone radioactive."

Forest & Bird
"New Zealand's woeful climate response deserves to have the spotlight of shame put on it. Our biggest greenhouse gas emitter industry - agriculture - is exempt from paying carbon costs, while new coal mines continue to be permitted around the country, including in precious native ecosystems. This award is well-deserved. New Zealand isn't doing its fair share, and it's good to see the global community call us out on that."

Greenpeace Aotearoa - Christine Rose, Lead Agriculture Campaigner
"It's no surprise, and an unenviable award that Aotearoa New Zealand deserves. Our failure to take action on the biggest emitting sector - agriculture, and our failure to engage with actual methane reduction measures by phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and lowering the cow herd, mean we are truly dinosaurs when it comes to climate change."

Oxfam Aotearoa - Alex Johnston, Campaigns Lead
Oxfam Aotearoa has criticised the New Zealand government for winning the runner up for the “Fossil of the Day” award that Minister James Shaw received at COP26 overnight. The award, presented by Climate Action Network (CAN), is given to the nation who has hindered COP26 negotiations the most. Oxfam Aotearoa Campaign Lead Alex Johnston said:

“It is embarrassing that our government is receiving such an ‘award’ on a global stage. This is not a good representation of Kiwis; this is not our kaupapa.”

CAN pointed out that the New Zealand government put out a revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) the night before COP, which Oxfam Aotearoa and other organisations said was inconsistent with the Paris Agreement due to its unambitious 2030 target. Oxfam previously reprimanded the updated NDC saying that it relies heavily on paying other countries to do the work for us. As CAN said in their release put out today:

“This comes from a country that gives off the ‘greener than thou’ vibe at the drop of a hobbits hat. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised when it was brought to our attention that he’s also the guy who put out a revised NDC the night before COP. That one wasn’t worth the wait, unfortunately. Civil society commentators widely regarded it as a Grade A hatchet job, inconsistent with Paris temperature goals, wholly unambitious on 2030 target and relying heavily on carbon markets.”

Johnston says that the New Zealand government can’t tell other countries to close the ambition gap for 1.5 degrees if we are not willing to do that ourselves:

“The government’s delay to the Emissions Reduction Plan means we are falling further and further behind. We also can’t call for transparency when our NDC hides the fact that domestic emissions will only be cut by around 7-9% below 2005 levels by 2030 on a net-net basis.

“For Minister Shaw to undermine the encouragement to return with greater NDCs in 2022 before the final text has been agreed is extremely disappointing. It’s a reflection of the laggard pace of our domestic action. Each day we delay bolder action means more people go hungry, lose their homes and face the devastation of climate breakdown.

“Minister Shaw needs to come back from Glasgow with the clear message: Aotearoa New Zealand must scale up our domestic response and increase ambition each year until we are doing our fair share to keep global heating to 1.5 degrees.”

Students for Climate Solutions - Phoebe Nikolaou and Injy Johnstone
“I hope that the Fossil award will force New Zealand to adopt real action. Lying and keeping face is no longer an option - it must do better, and it must do so now. Climate change must be treated like the existential threat like it is, not like a political playground.” - Phoebe Nikolaou

“New Zealand being awarded a Fossil today at COP26 is a testament to our longstanding ability to appear clean and green, but actually be tactical and mean when it comes to real efforts to reduce emissions and the impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable countries.

“Today’s Fossil award is a wake up call for the New Zealand Government to start taking their role seriously in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, banning oil and gas development and promoting a robust loss and damage system." - Injy Johnstone

WWF-New Zealand - Livia Esterhazy, CEO
"Only second place? We are surprised we didn't get number one. New Zealanders weren't fooled by the government's clever accounting on our NDC and this proves neither was the world. Once again we see countries that try to greenwash their lack of ambition and domestic emission reductions, being called out for what they are.

"The Fossil award shows that the world thinks we're climate laggards, and we are. It's a national embarrassment. The icing on this cake is that our very own Climate Minister is calling on other countries to be more ambitious while virtually in the same breath saying we don't have to be. This kind of statement could potentially undermine the whole process. We know better, so we should do better."

ABOUT NZCAN
We are a network of over 30 New Zealand civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and social movements who support each other and our allies to take real action to protect New Zealanders and others from climate change, to protect New Zealand's unique environment, and build a more fair, just and safe New Zealand for us all.

The New Zealand Climate Action Network is the New Zealand node of Climate Action Network International (CAN). CAN is a worldwide network of over 1500 organisations in more than 130 countries driving collective and sustainable action to fight the climate crisis and to achieve social and racial justice. CAN convenes and coordinates civil society at the UN climate talks and other international fora, including COP26.

TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS AND FURTHER COMMENT

Contact NZCAN Node Coordinator Rachel Dobric by email here, or by phone: 0064 21 068 1230.