Govt’s ETS auction fails for the eighth time

nature and climate

RMA replacement laws pass today, usher in new era of harm to the environment

The Green Party says the worst parts of the new laws replacing core environmental legislation were copied and pasted from industry lobbying documents, and will allow untold harm to human health and the environment.“With the passing of these bills, Aotearoa is in a new era of environmental exploitation at the hands of polluting industries,” says Green Party Environment spokesperson Lan Pham. “At a time when half of our rivers are too polluted to swim in, ocean fisheries like tarakihi are...

Posted at September 23, 2026 11:43 AM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Greens commit to undoing attacks on conservation and environment laws

The Green Party has announced at the March for Nature in Auckland that, if elected, it will ensure that conservation land is managed for nature, not for profit, and that there are strong limits on activity that might harm the wider environment.“Today, people from across Aotearoa have stood up yet again against the Coalition Government's attacks on nature and public conservation land. The Green Party is marching with them because corporate interests should never come at the expense of our...

Posted at September 19, 2026 2:59 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Docs show new anti-enviro laws copy pasted from Big Polluter wish lists

The Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill will go to their third readings this week. These are the laws replacing New Zealand’s foundational environmental law, the Resource Management Act (RMA).Changes to the bills that appear to have come straight from industry lobby groups include critical wording on climate impacts, pollution limits, resource use limits, and environmental health, while including special provisions for specific industries, and reducing public input opportunities. This occurred despite repeated official advice, and independent expert warnings. “Let...

Posted at September 14, 2026 8:39 AM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Public pressure on Conservation Amendment Bill forces roll back but meaningless as worst elements still remain

Public pressure has forced the Coalition Government to roll back parts of the Conservation Amendment Bill, but changes are essentially meaningless when the remaining clauses could still have disastrous ramifications, says the Green Party. “While we welcome the Select Committee’s decision to abandon the controversial conservation land exchange and disposal provisions, New Zealanders should remain extremely concerned about the ‘squeeze any economic value at any cost’ approach of the economic clauses in the Bill,” says Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham. ...

Posted at September 03, 2026 3:52 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Methanex closing eliminates any arguable case for LNG Terminal

The Green Party says Methanex closing shuts the door on any arguable reason for the Government to build an LNG import terminal, and is calling on the Government to cancel its plans."It's time for the Government to cancel their plans to use $1 billion of taxpayer money to underwrite the LNG import facility," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. "Methanex leaving takes the country's largest gas user out of the market and frees up gas supply through to the end...

Posted at September 02, 2026 11:27 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick

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 Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick

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