Morning Briefing Feb 1: NZ's climate change wake-up call

Maurice Shappell

The Climate Change Commission calls for big changes to our way of life, and Australia faces a new Covid headache as it reopens the travel bubble with New Zealand.

The Climate Change Commission has released its draft plan for slashing New Zealand’s emissions, saying the country’s targets won’t be met without strong and decisive action.

The report warns urgent action is needed, including changes to farming, what we drive, and how we power new homes.

Commission Chair Dr Rod Carr says the advice is "ambitious but realistic". He will be further discussing the report on TVNZ’s Breakfast just after 7am today.

The Government also says the targets set out yesterday are both “achievable and affordable” .

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says they’re “committed to picking up the pace and focusing more on decarbonisation and reducing emissions rather than overly relying on forestry”.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw says meeting the targets is possible with existing technology and that he’s “more confident than I have ever been that it can be done”. 

But, as Stuff’s Henry Cooke writes, real climate action will likely be a political minefield , especially the Commission’s recommendation for a reduction in the country’s number of cattle.

Newsroom has wrapped up various reactions to yesterday’s report here , including from political parties, Greenpeace, BusinessNZ, and the National Iwi Chairs Forum. DairyNZ CEO Tim Mackle will also respond to the report’s recommendations on TVNZ’s Breakfast around 7.20am.

Public consultation on the Commission’s draft advice begins today. You can find their full report here

Sign up to get the Morning Briefing delivered direct to your inbox – here.

Australia tightens border rules

Australia may be reopening its doors to Kiwis after last week’s halt in quarantine-free travel, but a new rule means those wishing to fly across the Tasman must have been in New Zealand for at least 14 days after completing their quarantine here.

The decision comes as Aotearoa recorded another day without any new cases of Covid-19 in the community. New isolation rules have also been set for staff and guests at the hotel at the centre of last week’s community cases. 

But as the one-way travel bubble starts back up, Australia has a new Covid headache after a quarantine worker in Perth tested positive for the virus.

The city and other parts of Western Australia have now entered a five-day hard lockdown , which sparked scenes of panic-buying late yesterday.

Families plead for compassion

The families of Kiwis stuck overseas are calling for compassion and flexibility as tales pour in of heartbreak while people clamour for spots in managed isolation.

1 NEWS has been inundated with stories of Kiwis stuck in desperate situations overseas after airing the tale of a terminally ill man initially being declined an emergency spot in managed isolation.

Trevor Ponting, who has terminal brain cancer, has now been granted a MIQ space to return to New Zealand.

New school year brings headaches

As most children head back to the classroom this week, some schools are still trying to fill staff vacancies .

The Ministry of Education predicts it can meet demand, especially with many Kiwi teachers returning from overseas, however unions claim teachers who are available aren’t necessarily in the right location or hold the right qualifications. 

The new school year is also proving a headache for many Kiwi families, according to KidsCan.

The charity says more families than ever will be struggling with back-to-school costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

KidsCan CEO Julie Chapman says many children are hungry and missing uniforms, shoes, and stationery and therefore don’t turn up for school because “they’re upset that they don’t fit in”.

The charity is aiming to raise $350,000 to help remove some of those barriers. 

Dean Barker coy on future

American Magic's Kiwi helmsman Dean Barker says now isn’t the time for him to decide if the weekend’s loss to Luna Rossa will be his final America’s Cup chapter.

Barker and his team limped out of the Prada Cup on Saturday, two weeks after their boat was badly damaged in a dramatic capsize.

Barker says he now plans to focus on family life before contemplating any future tilts at the America’s Cup. 

Other news of note this morning:

- Thousands of Russian protesters have again demanded the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

- Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers little more than a week before his trial.

- Sky News reports Captain Sir Tom Moore, the war veteran who raised millions of pounds for the UK’s NHS, has been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 .

- Medsafe will meet this week to decide on approval for Pfizer’s Covid vaccine in New Zealand. 

- A second gun buyback scheme begins today as police collect further firearms and parts that were banned under last year's new gun laws.

- The UK has asked to join the mammoth trans-Pacific partnership agreement CPTPP.

- One of the last surviving New Zealand pilots who served in Air Bomber Command in World War II has celebrated his 100th birthday .

- And Mike Pero has been named as the CEO of TVNZ’s new reality series, The Apprentice Aotearoa.

And finally...  

TVNZ’s latest Good Sort is a Hamilton man who’s growing – and giving away – a forest from his humble backyard.

Maurice Shappell learned New Zealand needed more trees so began his forest-growing operation from seeds and clippings.

The tiny space at the back of his council flat has now produced 12,000 trees (12,000!) which have been released into the wild, free of charge. You can read more about this incredible one-man mission here

SHARE ME

More Stories