Nick Smith

Wellington, July 22 NZPA - New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions have increased so much since 1990 that it is going to be "a huge task" to reverse them, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith told Parliament today.

UN member states meet in Copenhagen in December to set a Kyoto Protocol framework up to 2020, and scientists have said a target of a 40 percent reduction on 1990 levels is the least that developed countries need to set to prevent dangerous climate change.

Dr Smith indicated New Zealand was going to have difficulty setting a target anywhere near that figure.

Referring to statistics issued yesterday, he said New Zealand's emissions overall had increased 24 percent since 1990.

That compared with the United States' 16 percent increase, Japan's 8 percent increase, and the European Union's decrease of 10 percent.

Dr Smith said New Zealand had to be realistic about setting a 2020 target relative to 1990 baselines.

"When European countries talk of a 20 percent reduction, they are already halfway there," he said.

"Whereas New Zealand would need to reverse this 24 percent increase first, and then meet any target on top of that within 10 years."