Monday, 09 December 2024 11:31

Former G-G to head Climate Change Commission

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Former Governor-General Patsy Reddy has been appointed the new chair of the Climate Change Commission. Former Governor-General Patsy Reddy has been appointed the new chair of the Climate Change Commission.

Former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy will be the new chair of the Climate Change Commission.

The commission is an independent Crown entity that provides the Government advice, monitoring and reporting to support New Zealand’s transition to a climate-resilient, low emissions future.

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that Reddy will come to the role with an extensive and distinguished career in law and governance.

She served as the 21st Governor-General of New Zealand from 2016 to 2021. In 2014, she became a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and business and in 2016 she was made a Dame Grand Companion of the Order for services to the state. She is currently chair of the New Zealand Rugy Union and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Foundation. She is also a trustee of the Malaghan Institute and the Aspen Institute New Zealand.

Reddy’s appointment will take effect in February 2025. In the meantime, commissioner and deputy chair Lisa Tumahai will be acting chair when current chair Dr Rod Carr’s term ends this month.

Watts has also appointed Felicity Underhill and Devon McLean as Commissioners from December 2024 until September 2028, replacing Catherine Leining and Professor James Renwick.

“Underhill has worked in the energy industry for over twenty years and will bring significant experience in decarbonisation of the energy, transport and industrial sectors. She has also been actively involved in future fuel transition programmes around hydrogen,” Watts says.

“McLean has had a long executive and governance career in the forestry and conservation fields. The Commission Board will benefit from McLean’s forestry industry experience and governance expertise.

Watts thanked Carr, Leining and Renwick for their service to the Commission.

More like this

Editorial: Climate dilemma

OPINION: The farming sector, or at least some parts of it, are preparing for a battle with the Government over its latest international climate change target.

Farmers want out of climate deal

Get out of the Paris Agreement on climate change – that’s the message from the farmer lobby group Groundswell to the Minister for Climate Change, Simon Watts.

Featured

Editorial: Nitrate emergency?

OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.

Federated Farmers slam Canterbury nitrate emergency

A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.

National

Machinery & Products

Disc mower range gets upgrade

Kuhn has announced an expansion of its range of disc mowers, distributed by Norwood in New Zealand, with the addition…

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Zero, not hero

OPINION: If the comments about the deceased Tom Phillips posted on social media by keyboard warriors were representative of parenting…

Costs too high?

OPINION: This old mutt is loath to sound like Groundswell has been topping up his bowl with brisket off-cuts, but…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter