Powerful climate commissioners appointed, including Harry Clark and James Renwick
The Government have appointed the seven people who will shape climate change policy for the next half-decade. Climate Change minister James Shaw announced the full seven-person team of Climate Change Commissioners on Tuesday. The Commission was created by the Zero Carbon Act and will provide independent advice for governments on how to meet the emissions reductions targets put into law by the act, with regular "emissions budgets" set for governments to follow if they wish. While it will have no formal power the commission will be able to independently set out what it believes governments need to do to lower emissions. READ MORE: * James Shaw won the battle on climate change, not the war * Zero Carbon Bill comes back from select committee with controversial methane target intact * Emotional Dr Rod Carr says family pushed him to take top climate role The team is to be led by former Reserve Bank chair and University of Canterbury vice-chancellor Dr. Rod Carr, an announcement made earlier this year. He will serve a five-year term. Joining him is Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai as deputy commissioner and five other commissioners, who will stay for terms of between two and five years. Included are Dr. Harry Clark, the head of New Zealand's Agricultural Research Centre; Victoria University Professor James Renwick, one of the most visible and colourful climate scientists in the country; Dr. Judith Lawrence, a climate change research fellow with government experience; Motu economist Catherine Leining; and Massey University professor Nicola Shadbolt, who has extensive experience in agribusiness - including as a director at Fonterra. The commissioners were whittled down from around 200 nominations and a short list of 100, and were selected by Cabinet. Every political party in Parliament was consulted, according to a spokesman for Shaw. Shaw said the issue of climate change was "too big for politics" and the commission would protect climate policy from political mood swings. "Our decision to create the Climate Change Commission was about protecting climate policy from political mood swings, meaning every future government can stay focused on the job at hand: to help solve climate change and make our communities are cleaner and healthier," Shaw said. "We provided a bold legislative framework for what we need to do build a climate-friendly future for New Zealand; it is the Commission who will now advise us on how best to do that." "Whilst it is an advisory body, I fully expect that the impartial and scientifically rigorous analysis it will provide will help keep future governments' climate policy in check." Shaw himself had an ambition that the Commission would have real power, not just advisory power, but this was stymied by NZ First. National's agriculture spokesman Todd Muller said he was pleased with the calibre of the candidates. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who was at the announcement, said the commissioners would provide a "balanced" view. "When we started this Commission we were looking to provide a balance of Commissioners who are greatly experienced over a number of areas including agriculture," Peters said. "There are 23,000 stakeholders out in rural New Zealand who need to be assured they can be in front of this change and not be the victims of it."