Nine To Noon for Monday 14 December 2020

 

 

09:05 Is a carbon neutral public sector achievable by 2025?

The public sector must go carbon neutral by 2025 - but there are concerns an overburdened construction industry doesn't have the capacity to help achieve it. The Government, in making its climate declaration earlier this month, said it would lead by example by getting its own house in order - and so, in just four years' time, the public sector will have to measure and report carbon emissions, ditch the coal boilers and electrify its16-thousand strong vehicle fleet. Big public buildings - those over 2000 square metres - will have to implement an energy efficiency rating standard, and new leases and new builds will have to achieve a high minimum standard of that. Smaller government buildings are not included in that rating. Kathryn talks to Professor of Construction Management at Massey University, Suzanne Wilkinson and Andrew Eagles, chief executive of the Green Building Council.

09:20 Has government dropped the ball on Smokefree 2015?

Emeritus Professor and Chair of Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH) Robert Beaglehole tells Kathryn Ryan the government is in danger of missing the goal of New Zealand becoming smokefree within five years, and that unless the new Minister responsible acts now, communities and health services will suffer.  In March 2011 the then National Government adopted the Smokefree 2025 goal for New Zealand, in response to recommendations from a select committee - that fewer than 5% of adults should be smoking cigarettes by 2025. In 2015 an action plan was formed by public health experts and community groups in the tobacco control sector. In 2018 the Ministry of Health said it was developing a draft action plan.  Robert Beaglehole says work just needs to start.

09:45 Germany correspondent Thomas Sparrow

Germany will go into a hard lockdown over the Christmas period. Chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested Christmas shopping has contributed to a considerable rise in social contacts as the number of deaths and infections from the coronavirus reaches record levels.

09:45 Thomas Sparrow is a political correspondent for Deutsche Welle, based in Berlin

10:05 Analysis of disruption in the global energy markets

One of the world's foremost energy experts and Pulitzer Prize winning author Dr Daniel Yergin talks to Kathryn about the power plays in global energy and the interconnectedness to geo politics at every step. In his new book, The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations Dr Yergin looks at how various energy revolutions and trends have been re-balancing the world order, between the likes of Russia, America and China.
 

10:35 Book review - Acting and How to Survive It by Peter Feeney

Peter Hambleton reviews Acting and How to Survive It by Peter Feeney, published by Tinderbox Press.

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Political commentators Mills & Sherson 

Stephen, Trish and Kathryn discuss the first post-election poll which is bad news for National, the challenges for ACT working out its strategy and the Trans Tasman bubble not happening before February.

Stephen Mills is the executive director of UMR Research, which is the polling firm used by Labour.  He is former political adviser to two Labour governments.

Trish Sherson is from corporate affairs firm Sherson Willis, and a former ACT press secretary. 

 

11:30 Snail of approval: 14 food businesses get Slow Food tick

Fourteen Auckland region food businesses have just become the country's first to be awarded the Slow Food "Snail of Approval" a programme which promotes and celebrates locally grown and produced food that is good, clean and fair. Slow Food Auckland 's Anutosh Cusack talks to Kathryn Ryan about how she hopes it will be the first step to rolling out the designation to other regions across Aotearoa.

11:45 Year of Covid: The Good, the Bad and the Future

Urban issues commentator Bill McKay takes a look at the pros and cons of how Covid affected us in the urban environment this year, and what changes we may see in our future.

Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.