Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:03p.m.
By Kim Chisnall
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith is warning campaigners not to expect “unrealistic targets” to be set at the climate summit in Copenhagen.
The minister has just arrived in the Danish city, and his words came as hundreds of protestors took to the streets to demand strong action.
“It puts a huge onus on the ministers gathering this week to actually knock through an agreement, a deal for which those leaders can put their signatures to on Friday,” Mr Smith says.
“It’s a big ask – we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
New Zealand has come under fire from protestors for refusing to budge from its carbon emissions reduction target of 10 to 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2020.
But Mr Smith says anything else was unrealistic.
“The reason the Government is not prepared to go further is quite simply we don’t think it’s doable,” he says.
“This is the fifth climate change conference I’ve been to. If there are lessons to be learnt it’s that, if we don’t deliver anything, we are doing a disservice to our future.”
Protestors are doing their bit to urge action from the politicians. One such protest had been planned well in advance – as had the police response.
After Saturday’s day of action Sunday was more of a day of rest in Copenhagen.
But this is the eye of the storm – activists have promised a fresh wave of protest, and on Wednesday a group called Climate Justice Action say they will storm the Bella Centre and disrupt the conference.
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