Where is Aotearoa's climate change work, & where should it be
Patrick Medlicott - 28th October 2025
This is a summary of the talk given by Dr Roderick Carr, the previous New Zealand climate change Commissioner, to Ora Taiao, the group of health professionals concerned about climate change and health.
Dr Carr has a distinguished previous history. He notes he is not a climate scientist, and prior to 2019 he was not involved in that field. He mentioned that the start of his journey relative to climate science began when he was participating in a marathon in Iceland. He noticed the changes going on due to global warming from the combustion of fossil fuels. Since then, he has become an advocate for New Zealand to take climate change seriously, and to deal with its causes and consequences.
In the talk he discussed climate science, climate policy and climate action. Overall, he mentioned his tone was of frustration with what is happening in New Zealand, and worldwide, but that there were challenges and certainly opportunities to deal with the problems, particularly in the New Zealand way.
He said quite openly that the science is settled. I would agree wholeheartedly with this position. Previously it was said that 95% of scientists believe that the climate is changing due to human induced greenhouse gas effects. This was some years ago, and the last time this was reported it was up to 99.5% of scientists. There are of course still some scientific deniers, and this is a good thing as science needs to be critically examined. Unfortunately, when one “looks beneath the hood”, it becomes apparent in most cases that these are people employed or dependent upon the fossil fuel industry for their livelihoods. As Dr Carr said, “the science is beyond dispute by intelligent people”.
Dr Carr mentioned that our civilisation is dependent on fossil fuel extraction, and that its consequences of pollution and climate change are without doubt - and those consequences are here and now. Planet Earth will survive, and humanity will also survive, but if we continue with our dependence on fossil fuels and their combustion in the open air, our way of life will become unsustainable in the 22nd century. He used the expression “physics trumps politics” - and this is “trumps” without the capital T. The science has been understood now for over 50 years, and the remedies for over 30 years. The good news is that 80% of the present greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels in the open air can be alleviated by present technology, and do not need magical thinking or new technology. The solutions are already largely present. Climate change is not a hoax.
The wealth, power and privilege of the fossil fuel industry is, however, still present, and the disinformation promoted by this industry, such as gas being a “transition” fuel, is still being promulgated. We do not need to burn coal to make electricity, we do not need to burn gas to make electricity, and we certainly do not need to import liquefied natural gas when we have the ability, with the right political direction, to essentially change the way our society works.
The solutions are available, and the technology is cheaper, safer and healthier than our present technologies that are dependent on fossil fuels. Small countries can make changes (e.g. Norway now has 93% battery electric vehicles), and large countries such as China now dominate the world in making solar panels and solar batteries. These can change our energy usage together with hydro storage and the use of geothermal and wind. New Zealand can adopt these technologies, which will mean that the importation of fossil fuels will eventually become unnecessary for us.
The only reason why this is not being done is because the incumbent fossil fuel industry has captured politics in New Zealand. This capture allows those in “power” (no pun intended) to extract rent from New Zealand consumers, rather than changing the outdated, costly and ineffective systems we presently use (the “Gentailers”). New Zealand’s transport fleet is among the oldest and most polluting in the OECD. The reason we have these outdated vehicles is because the rest of the world no longer wants them. They contribute to air pollution, which probably kills thousands of New Zealanders each year - and millions worldwide. Also the natural gas that we use for cooking is now being shown to cause significant human health problems. Likewise, it is not necessary (as we have electric induction). Dr Carr mentioned the use of gas as an “Own Goal” for New Zealand.
Dr Carr believes that New Zealand can declare peace with its natural environment, rather than our present war which has led to severe nitrate pollution of our waterways and estuaries, let alone the pollution from human waste and animal waste. He makes the point that New Zealand is not clean, and is not green - this is a lie we tell ourselves and the world. He uses the example of bringing in cruise ships with huge attendant pollution so that they can spend a couple of hundred dollars per person in Queen Street, all while Pacific nations drown.
These problems are not caused by the United States, China or the EU - they are caused by our decisions that are made in New Zealand. We can change them with better, healthier and cheaper technology than fossil fuels.
The current prevailing idea that individual self-interest is more important than one’s social group needs to change. The pursuit of private profit at public expense also needs to change. Individually New Zealanders have one of the highest carbon footprints in the world. We can change this, as it depends on what we buy, where we work, and what we say. Silence is complicity with the system that will make our grandchildren and great-grandchildren unhealthy, and involve them in extractive wars and permanent conflict with what sustains them (the Earth).
Dr Carr’s address is on “You tube” and readily available, and he is much better at expressing himself than I am in this summary. If you do nothing else, I will recommend that you watch it, and - whether you believe climate science is real or not - it is coming for you: