Emotional Dr Rod Carr says family pushed him to take top climate role
Dr Rod Dr Carr's children drove his decision to become the country's most powerful climate leader. The former Reserve Bank chairman and University of Canterbury vice-chancellor welled up as he spoke about his family's influence on Tuesday. "All four of them said: 'there is only one thing that you should do, and make it a contribution that you can make for us'," he recalled. "So that didn't take much thinking really ... when your kids line up and tell you that's how they want you to spend your retirement." READ MORE: * Climate Change Minister confident Zero Carbon Bill will pass by Christmas * National supports climate change bill through first reading * Landmark climate change bill goes to Parliament * Rod Dr Carr's hard yards Dr Carr's appointment as Chair-designate for the Climate Change Commission makes him one of New Zealand's most powerful figures. He will be responsible for setting carbon budgets and other plans for future governments to follow although they can ignore his recommendations. Dr Carr will serve a five-year term once the Government finally passes its Zero Carbon Act, which it has promised to do by Christmas, about a year and a half behind schedule. He told media climate change was "coming into the mainstream". "But it's coming, it's not there yet," he said. "It needs to be there now." He believed a "broad-based change" in New Zealand's behaviour was needed. "Every household, every small business, every corporate every arm of Government," Carr said. "And I think to do that in our western democracy, you have to, in the end, make the elected representatives of us responsible for the hardest of all choices. "But they need to be well-advised the advice needs to be transparent, it needs to be evidence-based, it needs constructed after due consultation and it needs to put the Government of the day in the position to have the courage to make those tough choices and for the country to be carried with them." Dr Carr became emotional when asked what went through his head upon being offered the job. "Why the emotion?" media quizzed. "We've just had our next bunch of grandchildren," Dr Carr explained. "They're going to live with the consequences of these choices they're not in a position to choose, they trust that their parents and grandparents will make good choices for them. "That's a pretty compelling burden to carry and we all carry it together." Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the chairman would have a "big impact" on the commission's success, therefore he had opted for Dr Carr's ability to be independent, analytical and credible. Shaw has had serious trouble keeping other parties on board with the bill, which he wants to pass with widespread support so it is not amended by future governments. National supported the first reading and are comfortable with the climate change commission itself, but not the emissions targets set in the bill, which it argues will hurt farmers too much. NZ First are also wary - particularly of the status of the Climate Change Commission, which it worried could gain fully independent Reserve Bank-like powers. The Commission will instead have only recommendatory powers over almost all climate policy, but will be able to independently publish that advice, so the public knows when the Government is ignoring it. Dr Carr was deputy governor of the Reserve Bank from 1998 to 2003 and served as the chair of its board between 2013 and 2017. He also worked as the vice-chancellor at the University of Canterbury for a number of years, including during the earthquakes. Shaw said Dr Carr's experience at the Reserve Bank and university would be key for leading work on climate change adaption as well as mitigation. "Dr Carr's PhD in insurance and risk management, alongside his work leading the University of Canterbury through the earthquake recovery period, are excellent background for the incredibly important work that needs to be done in leading climate change resilience and adaptation," Shaw said. "The Commission will be crucial to keep us on track for our 2050 target and hold successive governments accountable to meet emissions budgets. Dr Carr described himself as a "realistic optimist" saying much more needed to be done on climate change. "As a realistic optimist I have confidence that with urgency, empathy, science, humility and passion we will make the world more sustainable and more inclusive. Much is being done but much more needs to be done, and done today, because tomorrow may be too late," Dr Carr said. Shaw said he was still considering who else to appoint to the seven-person commission. Cabinet had agreed to Dr Carr's appointment and to getting the Commission ready to go for when the bill is finally passed.