Roger Pikia

TE KARAKA caught up with Roger Pikia (Ngāti Tahu Ngāti Wharoa/ Ngāti Hikairo) the day before he flew out of New Zealand to attend the international summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

He was nominated by the Iwi Leadership Group, along with Chris Karamea Insley, as an advisor to the New Zealand negotiation team regarding iwi and Māori views on the ETS.

Pikia acknowledges that issues around climate change must be addressed but he says it can t be at the expense of indigenous peoples. Māori have the backing of other first nations, mainly Australia, Canada and the United States, in its push to have their unique position recognised. We want the world to know that there are developing indigenous economies, Pikia says.

Forest offsetting was also an issue that needed to be addressed as it stood Māori would be penalised for cutting down forest in order to convert land into more productive uses, even if it replanted the forest elsewhere.

An amendment needs to be made, Pikia says.

And finally, Māori did not believe a tree released its entire store of carbon when it was felled that whether it was turned into furniture or timber framing, it still retained some carbon and that should be recognised when charging forest owners for cutting down trees.

Pikia planned to take as many opportunities as possible to spread the word while at Copenhagen: We have to get a balance with our aspirations of sustaining our natural resources while enabling us to grow (economically).

Through The Trees

Roger Pikia

TE KARAKA caught up with Roger Pikia (Ngāti Tahu Ngāti Wharoa/ Ngāti Hikairo) the day before he flew out of New Zealand to attend the international summit on climate change in Copenhagen. [More...]

Aikman Report And Ngāi Tahu Response

When former Minister in Charge of Treaty Negotiations Dr Michael Cullen called for an independent review of how the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme as it stood in 2008 would impact on Ngāi Tahu, Te Rūnanga accepted the decision in good faith. [More...]

Ngāi Tahu Integrated Forestry And Carbon Credit Opportunities Project

In 2007, Toitū Te Whenua, the environmental unit of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu initiated a business project to understand the different approaches to afforestation, reforestation, and forestry, which may have the potential to benefit the tribe. [More...]

Inside Issue 45

SEARCH FOR CALM WATERS

THROUGH THE TREES

MEETING TŪTOKO

ULVA'S ISLAND

ARM STRONG

COUNTRY EXPEDITION

HAVE YIKE, WILL TRAVEL

 

Issue #45 Published Dec 2009
© Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu