MP Maureen Pugh U-turn: Human-induced climate change is real
On Tuesday morning, National MP Maureen Pugh was "waiting for evidence" that humans caused climate change. By Tuesday afternoon, Pugh accepted the scientific consensus that human-induced climate change is real. Pugh earlier on Tuesday said she had not seen the evidence around the human impact of climate change and whether humans had caused climate change. I regret that my comments this morning were a bit unclear and will have lead some to think that I am questioning the core causes of climate change, Pugh, who is based on the West Coast, said Tuesday afternoon. Pughs afternoon stance followed National deputy leader Nicola Willis saying she would talk to Pugh who would be doing a lot of reading. READ MORE: * Cyclone Gabrielle: Native tree planting may have prevented worse damage * The Antidote: Five happy things in the news today, February 21 * National's Maureen Pugh 'waiting for evidence' on human impact on climate change Pugh said she accepted the scientific consensus that human induced climate change is real and there is a need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. We are seeing the impact of climate change in the cyclone that has devastated so much of the Zealand, that's why National is committed to New Zealand achieving its greenhouse gas emission reduction target. These are my words, I have not been instructed to say this at all. Asked why, hours earlier Pugh said she needed evidence that humans were contributing to climate change, she said, this is not my comfort zone, you guys in front of me with cameras and speakers, referring to the media scrum. I wasn't probably calm enough this morning to articulate properly. But look the National Party signed up to the Paris accord. We are very supportive of the programmes, the emissions trading scheme. Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who earlier asked if Pugh believed in reality and or gravity, later said he honestly doesnt have time to respond to people who just don't believe in science, but I'm happy to help. Shaw, set to meet with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins this week on potential changes that could be sped up in light of Cyclone Gabrielle, said he had received that advice from Ministry for the Environment. I took an oral item into Cabinet yesterday. And that thinking is becoming part of the recovery plan. It's very broad and ultimately, Cabinet is yet to make a firm set of decisions. This isn't all going to happen at once, there's going to be a set of decisions rolled out over the next several weeks and over the next few months.