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Greens want dodgy carbon credits cancelled

Author
Christina Campbell ,
Publish Date
Sun, 24 Apr 2016, 5:23pm
Green Party co-leader James Shaw (Getty Images)
Green Party co-leader James Shaw (Getty Images)

Greens want dodgy carbon credits cancelled

Author
Christina Campbell ,
Publish Date
Sun, 24 Apr 2016, 5:23pm

The Green Party wants to see dodgy carbon credits cancelled to protect New Zealand's reputation.

The credits were bought from overseas organisations that claimed they were doing things to offset emissions, but most of the projects never happened.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett this morning said she was considering cancelling them.

MORE: Call for ETS overhaul after dodgy carbon credits bought

Greens co-leader James Shaw argues if we keep the credits we will have allowed emissions to increase whilst pretending we haven't.

But that's not the only issue, according to Shaw.

"The second problem is the damage to New Zealand's credibility and international reputation."

Shaw likened it to saying "I've paid for the deposit on my house with counterfeit money, do you mind if I keep the house and continue to pay the mortgage with real money?"

He believes the credits should be cancelled and replaced with legitimate credits.

"New Zealand actually has a very large store in the bank of legitimate credits that it could use, to pay back the dodgy credits from Russia and the Ukraine."

MORE - Andrew Dickens: Carbon credit rort has to stop

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