Understanding the Challenge
Dr Purdie began by outlining the dual challenge facing New Zealand: rising energy demand as more sectors electrify, and the need to adapt to a changing climate. While electrification will reduce emissions, it will also shift energy demand patterns—less heating in winter, more cooling in summer, and increased irrigation needs due to more frequent droughts.
On the supply side, New Zealand’s electricity is already around 85% renewable, mostly from hydro and wind. The goal is to reach nearly 100% renewable electricity by the mid-2030s. However, this brings new challenges, such as managing the variability of wind and solar, and dealing with the risk of dry years when hydro lakes are low.
Adapting to a Changing Climate
Dr Purdie highlighted several adaptation challenges, including:
- More frequent and severe floods, requiring resilient infrastructure.
- Changing wind patterns, which could affect wind turbine performance.
- Sea level rise, with global and local impacts.
- Transmission lines carrying less electricity in hotter summers.
She emphasised the importance of scenario planning and building flexibility into the energy system to cope with these uncertainties.
Decarbonisation: The Right Target
While the government’s target is 100% renewable electricity, Dr Purdie argued that the real goal should be maximum decarbonisation. Retaining a small amount of gas for backup during dry years can provide security and enable the electrification of transport and industry—delivering the biggest emissions reductions.
Biofuels and hydrogen will play a role, especially for heavy transport and as backup generation, but their use will be limited by land and infrastructure constraints.
Hope and Collective Action
Despite the scale of the challenge, Dr Purdie remains hopeful. She pointed to historical examples of rapid change, such as the global phase-out of CFCs and the swift transition from horses to cars. While the world may miss the 1.5°C warming target, there is still a path to limit warming to below 2°C if collective action is taken.
Her advice: “The biggest single way to have an impact on climate change and other environmental crises is through collective pressure on policymakers to act in our interest rather than special interests.”
Watch the full Tackling Zero webinar for more insights, and sign up for future sessions as Meridian continues to lead the conversation on sustainability and climate action.