Wellington, New Zealand: As part of a broad plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, New Zealand's government announced on Monday that it will help lower-income families replace their old gas guzzlers with cleaner hybrid or electric vehicles.
The government plans to spend 569 million New Zealand dollars ($357 million) on the trial programme as part of a larger plan that includes emissions-reduction subsidies for businesses, a transition to an entirely green bus fleet by 2035, and curbside food-waste collection for most homes by the end of the decade.
“This is a landmark day in our transition to a low emissions future,” said PM Jacinda Ardern, further stating “We’ve all seen the recent reports on sea level rise and its impact right here in New Zealand. We cannot leave the issue of climate change until it’s too late to fix.”
It’s a step toward the pledges New Zealand made under the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change and the country’s stated goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Ardern said every community and sector had a role to play and that reducing reliance on fossil fuels would help shield households from volatile price hikes.
The plan also targets reduction of total car travel by 20% over the next 13 years by offering better public transportation options in cities as well as improved options for cyclists and walkers.
The programs will be paid for from a 4.5 billion New Zealand dollars climate emergency response fund. Officials also said that, fines collected from polluters would pay for the programs rather than taxes.
Source: The Associated Press
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