By Alex O'Hara
The World Wildlife Fund says we have failed, but the Government says we're pretty much top of the class when it comes to saving the environment.
Who is right?
The UN will be able make up its own mind next month when progress on targets agreed at a summit 20 years ago are reviewed.
It's an image New Zealand presents to the world - clean, green and pollution free.
This is far from accurate, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
“We expect out rivers and lakes to be clean,” says New Zealand WWF chief executive Chris Howe. “We expect our fisheries to be well managed. We expect our endangered species to be recovered and that's not happening.”
It has found nearly half of New Zealand’s lakes are polluted, iconic species like the maui dolphin are now endangered and the level of pollution is steadily increasing. That’s the opposite of a promise made by the Government 20 years ago at the Rio Earth Summit.
“There are current agreements there that need to be met,” says Mr Howe. “There are current agreements that need to be acted on and this Government is not acting on them.”
But the environment minister says the report should be taken with a "grain of salt", as compared to the rest of the world, New Zealand is doing well.
“We are the only country outside Europe, for example, that has a functioning emissions trading scheme, which immediately tells you we are further ahead than our international compatriots,” says Environment Minister Amy Adams.
She says New Zealand also leads the world when it comes to public participation – just one of the achievements she'll be presenting to next month's Rio+20 reunion.
The UN says the reunion marks a make-or-break date.
“We are one month from a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform ideas and aspirations into bold action,” says United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon.
But at this point the country's going can't even agree what should be on the agenda.
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