Steam rises from the stacks of the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyoming in this file photo taken March 14, 2014. The U.S. power sector must cut carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, according to fe
Steam rises from the stacks of the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyoming in this file photo taken March 14, 2014. Reuters/Jim Urquhart/Files

New Zealand is under pressure to reduce carbon emissions as major world economies are shifting towards a low-carbon future. According to an inter-ministry briefing from the Natural Resources sector, there is a need for New Zealand to prepare and position its targets around efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Based on the report, New Zealand will have to address key challenges such as working towards responsible growth to meet global expectations and adapting to expected impacts of climate change. Although New Zealand had set an emissions reduction target of 50 percent or below 1990 levels by 2050, the country recorded an increase in emissions since 1990.

The briefing revealed that New Zealand was "off track" in transitioning to a low-carbon economy amid increasing pressure to achieve targets. The New Zealand government needs to make decisions regarding the country's best policy mix to make the transition. Some policies that were suggested in the government briefing were carbon pricing and purchasing carbon credits abroad.

For a climate change policy to work, other sectors like transport, energy, forestry and agriculture must also be aligned. The briefing said that New Zealand's carbon emissions are small compared to the rest of the world, but it was ranked 22nd among the countries with highest emissions based on per capita.

In reaction to the government briefing, the youth climate change organisation, Generation Zero, is calling for the passing of the Climate Change Act which would make carbon budgets legally binding. The group said current policy settings in New Zealand and its annual net emissions may possibly increase to over 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2025, according to New Zealand Herald..

New Zealand's current emissions target is five percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 50 percent by 2020. Generation Zero policy spokesperson Paul Young said the government report only showed that the government has no plan of reducing carbon emissions. He added that climate scientists have already warned governments of the dangers of rising carbon emissions, but despite the government's promises to do its fair share, no action was taken. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Green Party said the National government's policy was failing New Zealand. Climate spokesperson Dr Russel Norman said the country can do its fair share, but action must be taken right now.