New Climate Change Minister Simon Watts not expecting criticism at COP28 over fossil fuels U-turn

Photo and Excerpt from www.rnz.co.nz/

New Climate Change Minister Simon Watts may face tough questions at the upcoming global climate summit in Dubai.

Watts on Wednesday morning, just 48 hours after stepping into the role formerly held by James Shaw of the Greens, confirmed to Morning Report it was his intention to go. The two-week 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) starts on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, a fossil fuel giant.

“We’re just working through some of the approvals, which is a normal protocol for these type of things – but, yeah, looking forward to that.”

This country’s official negotiating position, since July, is to advocate for a global phase-out of fossil fuels – but the new government intends to reopen New Zealand waters to oil and gas exploration – despite the United Nations saying the world is on track to produce around 110 percent more fossil fuels in 2030 than are needed to limit warming to 1.5C.