Government’s climate denial puts peoples’ livelihoods and assets at risk

Finance Minister Bill English’s description of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on sea level rise as mere “speculation” denies the evidence and puts the livelihoods and assets of people living in places like South Dunedin or Napier at serious risk.

Mr English dismissed the report’s primary finding that sea level rise is now certain, as mere “speculation”, and rejected her recommendation that he should plan for financial support for people who might see their homes and assets threatened by rising sea levels.

Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said that, “Bill English’s dismissal of sea level rise, and the challenges faced by home owners, is in stark contrast to Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull who said on TV3 this morning that ‘…we see the water coming up. The evidence is there. We cannot ignore it’.”

“Mr English cannot simply deny that sea levels are rising and hope that the risk to people’s homes in South Dunedin and other low-lying places around the country will go away,” said Mr Shaw.

“We need to work with those communities and support them to develop plans that respond to the risk that their homes will, over time, become uninsurable and lose their value. The National Government is sticking its head in the sand and saying to those communities that they’re on their own.                        

“National’s climate denial risks becoming an international embarrassment. Just a few months ago the United States President Barack Obama declared that ‘climate change, especially rising seas, is a threat to our homeland security—our economy, infrastructure, and the safety and health of the American people’.

“Mr English’s refusal to even consider this recommendation shows an extraordinary disregard for the thousands of New Zealander living in low lying areas, as well as the independent work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment”, said Mr Shaw.

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...
Read More

Story

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...
Read More

Story

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.
Read More

Story

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...
Read More

Story

Greens welcome waste strategy release and work

The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return...
Read More

Story

NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation

New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says.
Read More

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

Come on National, is that the best you can do?

A visionless National Party has stolen Government policy and rebranded it as their own.
Read More

Story

IPCC report shows 2023 is a ‘now or never’ climate election

“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it dem...
Read More

Story

Greens back School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy

The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a clima...
Read More

Story

Green Party backs School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Big emitters will have to do more to cut emissions

The biggest polluters will have to do more to help meet climate targets because of changes the Government is making to decade-old settings that hav...
Read More