We can be leaders and reach an ambitious emissions reduction target that New Zealanders can be proud of.

We can have a more prosperous New Zealand now, and leave a stable climate for the future.

This plan shows that with real leadership and a bit of Kiwi ingenuity, New Zealand can reduce our emissions by a respectable 40 percent.

The Government can also implement sector specific policies to cut emissions in electricity, transport, industrial processes, waste, and forestry. We need cuts of 28 Megatonnes (Mt) below 2015 levels in order to meet a 40 percent target.

  • We can cut 4.8 Mt from our electricity emissions.
  • We can cut 7.7 Mt from our transport emissions.
  • We can cut 3.7 Mt from other combustion of fossil fuels.
  • We can cut 2.1 Mt from our industrial process emissions.
  • We can cut 3.6 Mt from our waste sector.
  • We can exempt agriculture from any emissions obligations until 2020 and then cut 2.2 Mt.

Through forestry, we can sequester the remaining emissions needed to meet our 40 percent target.

One Page Summary of the full plan.

Full Plan

Appendices

Some of our other climate change policies include:

  • 100% renewable electricity
  • Testing all new legislation for its impact on the climate
  • Our transport plan
  • The Green Infrastructure Fund
  • Changing the Public Finance Act to measure environmental sustainability

This plan was released in 2015 to show how New Zealand could reduce emissions by 40%. It included a sector by sector breakdown, and has paved the way for all of our subsequent work on climate change.