WWF Rates New Zealand's Climate Change Policy as 'Poor', Warsaw Ready for Climate Negotiators

The New Zealand government has to seriously make a commitment against climate change or risk tainting the country's international image, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The lack of government action on the part of New Zealand will reflect badly on the country.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations will be held in Warsaw later on in the week to push the international framework forward to address a growing international problem.

According to WWF, the New Zealand government has a poor climate change action record after refusing to sign the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol and setting a "weak" voluntary emissions reduction target for 2020.

WWF New Zealand Head of Campaigns Peter Hardstaff said emissions will continue to rise under the policies of Prime Minister John Key based on the recent release of the Ministry for the Environment projections. Mr Hardstaff said that New Zealand's reputation on climate change policies is "at an all-time low."

Mr Hardstaff said reducing the effects of climate change is achievable if the world will take action immediately. He believes it is "100 per cent possible" for New Zealand to have cleaner energy in the future.

In the UN climate change conference at Doha in 2012, the New Zealand government declared it will not commit to the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol.

The country's 2020 emissions target is set at 5 per cent reduction in net emissions below the gross emission levels in 1990 and a target of 50 per cent below 1990 gross emissions. However, the recent report by the Ministry for Environment shows that the country will have net emissions that are 50 per cent higher than 1990 levels.

Warsaw Climate Change Negotiations

Climate change negotiators from 190 countries are expected to converge in Warsaw and attempt to take the necessary steps forward to reach climate change agreement.

The UN meeting comes after recent reports have been released containing new warnings on the increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased rapidly in 2012 compared to its average rise in the past ten years based on a new report. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has broken records, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).