“Evidence from Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, to Parliament’s Environment Select Committee makes a mockery of Climate Change Minister James Shaw’s claims his methane targets are based on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.” Robin Grieve Chairman of Pastural farming Climate Research said today
“In his evidence Simon Upton said the methane target in the Bill had “not been subjected to enough of a “comprehensive analysis” and needed to be put through more modelling to make sure it would be considered beyond political debate”.
Simon Upton submitted that “The figure had not been analysed for its impact on temperatures.”
“This is damning on Shaw’s targets and contradicts Shaw’s claim that his targets are based on science and on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
“The targets Shaw relied on were from an IPCC pathways model which expressly stated that the pathways targets should not be used for national targets.
From the Special Report SR15
These pathways illustrate relative global differences in mitigation strategies, but do not represent central estimates, national strategies, and do not indicate requirements.
“What’s even more damning is that the same IPCC model suggested pathway targets for nitrous oxide of between -26% to +39%, yet Shaw ignored this and set a target of -100%.
“The Minister shows no integrity in this matter with his selective mis-use of these IPCC pathways. There is no justification for using them in the first place but then to use them for methane but not nitrous oxide, demonstrates how disingenuous the Minister is.
“The methane targets in the Bill have no support in scientific terms and this Carbon Zero Bill has no place in any responsible policy response to global warming. Any political party that supports this bill and its ridiculously excessive methane targets deserves the ridicule they will surely receive.