Media release from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

27 August 2019

Caritas applauds the sense of urgency conveyed in the timeframe set out in the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which requires a climate change risk assessment to be prepared and presented to Parliament within a year.

In its oral submission to Parliament yesterday, Caritas called on the Government to consider ways in which it can support action at a local level in moving towards a low carbon future while ensuring the transition is not borne mainly by people who can least afford it.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ agency for justice, peace and development. Working on behalf of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Caritas is calling on all political parties to take a long-term view for the wellbeing of all communities. In its submission, the agency strongly voiced its support for an ambitious and realistic national target for emissions reduction by 2050, with clear milestones towards that goal.

“Caritas believes that we all have a responsibility for the wellbeing of the planet and for the current and future generations of humanity. This requires an effective and durable policy framework to ensure sustained action to respond to the global challenge of climate change. This Bill is a major step forward and we commend it. But we do need to act with urgency,” says Ms Hickey.

Pope Francis has been a prominent voice in the response to global challenges facing humanity. In his recent address on “The Energy Transition and Care of Our Common Home”, 14 June 2019, he said, “Our children and grandchildren should not have to pay the cost of our generation’s irresponsibility.”

The purpose of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill (the Bill) is to provide a framework and process by which New Zealand can achieve its existing commitment under the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ agency for justice, peace and development, and incorporates Catholic Volunteers Overseas. We are working for a world free of poverty and injustice through community development, advocacy, education, and emergency relief.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 Catholic aid, development and social justice agencies active in over 200 countries and territories.