Govt trumpets initiative to reduce emissions by 0.003%

James Shaw announced:

The Government is rolling out its plan for a carbon neutral public sector by 2025 by committing funding to a range of clean energy projects, including coal boiler replacements at ten schools, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today.

Schools, tertiary institutions, hospitals, and other government agencies will be supported to replace fossil fuel boilers with cleaner alternatives and improve the efficiency of buildings.

The projects will reduce carbon emissions by around 26,000 tonnes over the next 10 years, equivalent to taking over 1,000 cars off the road.

Wow 26,000 tonnes sounds a lot doesn’t it. It isn’t.

First of all it is over 10 years so on average it means 2,600 tonnes a year.

That is 2.6 kilotonnes.

In 2019 our gross emissions were 82,318 kt.

So the massive initiative that James Shaw is trumpeting won’t reduce NZ’s emissions by 3% or 0.3% or 0.03% but 0.003%.

Or think of it like this. Say you have one million of something and you need to reduce it to zero. This policy will reduce it by 31. Leaving in place 999,969.

Hooray we’re saved.