New Zealand's pure advantage

The Green Party is welcoming the launch this evening of a new business leaders' initiative to promote green economic opportunities for New Zealand.

Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said he looked forward to the Pure Advantage group, which included Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe and Warehouse-founder Sir Stephen Tindall, being an important ally for the Green Party's economic vision of smart green prosperity.

"Like us, they want to improve New Zealand's environmental performance and take advantage of clean green opportunities."

The Pure Advantage group predicts the global green economy will grow to US$6.8 trillion by 2015, Dr Norman said.

Since 2006, New Zealand had slipped from first place on the Environmental Performance Index to 15th in 2010. The index ranked 163 countries on the environmental performance of their government's policies.

Dr Norman said New Zealand couldn't afford to fall behind any further.

"Our clean green image is integral to trading internationally and also to our country's wellbeing.

"The Government talks about protecting and promoting our natural assets, but sadly, its actions tell a different story.

"National has watered down the ETS to reduce the carbon price and subsidise carbon emissions to the tune of billions; weakened air quality standards; sapped the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management so it lacks teeth to clean up our rivers; tried to mine our national parks; and is now planning deep sea mining.

"But it doesn't stop there. National is also planning to massively increase intensive irrigated dairying; mine dirty lignite and coal; build billions of dollars' worth of new motorways which would increase greenhouse emissions; and the list goes on.

"The headway the Government has actually made with green policies has been joint Government-Green Party initiatives, such as the home insulation scheme and the cycleway."

Dr Norman will attend Pure Advantage's launch in Auckland at 5pm today.