Failure of climate auction highlights government inaction

nature and climate

Luxon Government off track to meet almost all climate targets

The Climate Commission has today warned that unless we get a serious Government willing to take real action in the next 12 to 24 months, we are at risk of missing almost all of our climate targets.“Christopher Luxon came to power and shredded climate action, meaning we’re now off track to meet almost all of our climate targets. This isn’t about numbers on a page. This is about people’s lives and livelihoods," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. “New Zealanders...

Posted at July 22, 2026 1:35 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Government’s RMA replacement bills get worse at select committee, now a ‘race to the bottom’

The Government’s replacement resource management bills have come back from select committee weaker than before, removing and weakening key environmental safeguards and leaving New Zealanders to pay the cost.“At a time when pollution and exploitation of our environment is unprecedented, these Bills are now a race to the bottom. The Luxon Government is stripping away environmental protections while New Zealanders are left paying for the costs of environmental damage and the Government’s regulatory relief framework,” says Greens Party Environment spokesperson...

Posted at July 20, 2026 4:30 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Much delayed climate adaptation bill needs much more work

The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill introduced today falls far short of the game plan our communities urgently need, says the Green Party."Luxon’s Government has spent nearly three years delaying a climate adaptation plan that in October last year they also decided to delay all funding decisions for. Councils can’t take on more unfunded mandates, and New Zealanders are none the wiser about who pays," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. "We’ve been actively trying to engage the Minister in...

Posted at July 15, 2026 12:52 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Calls for fisheries amendment bill to be dropped completely

The Green Party is welcoming the Government's backdown on the Fisheries Amendment Bill, but says the Bill needs to be scrapped completely, not just delayed.“The Government may be at war with nature in their plans to privatise our oceans, conservation land and waterways, but people are pushing back and winning,” says Green Party Co-leader and Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick. Fisheries Minister Shane Jones today confirmed he would delay the Bill until after the election.   “This is the same...

Posted at July 08, 2026 4:14 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Green Party calls on Parliament to get on with solar loans before election

With Labour today announcing their support for a version of the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, the Green Party is calling on Parliament to pass legislation to make it happen before the House rises for election 2026."Parliament can lower New Zealanders' power bills and reduce emissions before the election kicks off. Now both the red team and the blue team have announced their support for the Ratepayer Assistance scheme, there's no reason we can't progress on a cross-partisan agreement to do this...

Posted at July 08, 2026 11:40 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

People and nature first in Greens’ rivers and oceans policy

The Green Party is calling foul on the Luxon Government’s dismantling of environmental protection, announcing a policy programme to deliver clean drinking water, swimmable rivers and beaches, and healthy oceans for all New Zealanders.“This is about protecting our taiao. The Green Party has announced its policy programme ‘Drink Swim Fish’ which will deliver far reaching environmental change and protect human and ecological health from harm caused by corporate greed,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. “Clean, healthy water is a human right,...

Posted at July 06, 2026 1:45 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Conservation Amendment Bill needs to start again

The Green Party says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka's decision to drop the disposal and exchange clauses from his Conservation Amendment Bill shows public pressure is working, but the whole Bill needs to be pulled and the reform started again.  "This is a backdown forced by tens of thousands of New Zealanders who refused to let their wild places be put on the market. The Minister has finally heard them, but removing these clauses does not fix a Bill that was built to...

Posted at June 25, 2026 3:00 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Green Party will protect public conservation land for future generations

The Green Party is announcing in government it will overhaul the laws protecting Aotearoa's conservation land and wildlife, scrapping the Government's current reform and starting again with a process focused on protecting what we have for future generations.“Our public conservation land is not the Government's to sell. It belongs to all of us, and to the generations who come after us. Conservation reform should give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, put indigenous-led land stewardship at the centre, and make...

Posted at June 25, 2026 11:05 AM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Budget 2026 confirms Luxon’s climate ‘plan’ is a trashfire

Budget 2026 confirms the Government has no plan to meet our commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement, at a cost that previously Treasury calculated as up to $23 billion due by 2030. "New Zealanders have experienced 21 States of Emergency this year, which even the Prime Minister has acknowledged are inflamed by climate change. Yet, his Government continues to pour fossil fuels on the fire," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.  “We have all known for years that meeting the Paris Agreement, covering 2021 to 2030, will require offshore mitigation. Every bit of domestic action reduced increases the cost...

Posted at May 28, 2026 2:36 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

“End of an era” as Government law change disestablishes Ministry for the Environment

The Green Party is condemning the Government’s disestablishment of the Ministry for the Environment, following the law change required to scrap the Ministry passing through Parliament on Wednesday.“This Government is cementing their place as the most anti-environment Government in New Zealand’s history. This is a shameful end of an era,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham.  The Environment (Disestablishment of Ministry for the Environment) Amendment Bill is set to pass through parliament today despite substantial opposition from the public, with more than 99% of submitters against...

Posted at May 27, 2026 5:34 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Luxon quietly borrows $1.4 billion more to hide climate failure

The Green Party has revealed Luxon's failed climate policies have created a $1.4 billion fiscal hole, after the Government's retreat on climate caused the carbon auctions to collapse and the cash it was banking on never arrived.“Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon lecture New Zealanders about fiscal responsibility and the dangers of debt while actively tanking climate policy, costing us all at least $1.4billion more in debt,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. “This fiscal hole is entirely self-inflicted, with carbon...

Posted at May 27, 2026 12:56 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

democracy and international relations

Luxon’s Government found breaching trade agreements again

Today’s report from Lawyers for Climate Action shows that Luxon’s handouts to fossil fuel companies likely breach New Zealand’s trade agreement with the United Kingdom, undermining our international reputation and trade relationships."A business wouldn’t get away with the spin and breaches of agreement Luxon’s Government does," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.  "The findings that this Government’s subsidisation of fossil fuel corporations likely breaches our UK Free Trade Agreement and undermine our EU FTA build on Green-commissioned independent, expert legal advice that the Government’s fossil fuel subsidies also breach the Agreement...

Posted at May 26, 2026 10:36 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

NZ democracy at risk of corporate corruption - Green Party backs urgent inquiry

Allegations that the Prime Minister’s office withheld information about backroom lobbying by major climate polluters - ahead of legislating to prevent court action against those same corporations - must be investigated, says the Green Party.“The facts are that major polluters had a meeting with the Prime Minister and that the full extent of that meeting and the briefings provided by Fonterra and Z Energy were not disclosed, intentionally or otherwise, by the Prime Minister’s office,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe...

Posted at May 25, 2026 9:15 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Bill would protect public conservation land this Government wants to mine

Green Party Member Lan Pham's Bill to prohibit mining on conservation land has been drawn from the ballot today. "Conservation land belongs to all of us. It is set aside to protect native plants, wildlife and the places New Zealanders love, not to be dug up for private profit," says Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham.  "This Bill simply protects conservation land in the way most New Zealanders would expect. It keeps conservation land for protection for everyone to enjoy, not exploitation for a few. It shuts the door...

Posted at May 21, 2026 4:44 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Luxon protects polluters’ profits in sweeping, rushed climate change law amendment

The Government’s surprise announcement this morning to amend the Climate Change Response Act is yet another example of Luxon loosening the leash for corporate profits at the expense of our people and our planet, the Green Party says.“Luxon’s Government is using its dying breaths to unravel New Zealanders’ right to hold big polluters accountable,” says the Green Party Co-leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick.   “While New Zealanders are demanding affordable power bills and decent jobs, Luxon’s Government has decided to...

Posted at May 12, 2026 12:32 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick