New research by the London School of Economics shows that the National Government’s assumption that action on climate change will cost more than inaction is wrong, the Green Party said today. The research, published by two research institutes at the London School of Economics, concludes that the majority of the global emissions reductions needed to decarbonise the global economy can be achieved in ways that are nationally net-beneficial to countries, even leaving aside the climate benefits. “Reducing emissions and economic...

The National Government can and should reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution rather than exploit ‘creative accounting’ in order to meet its climate targets, the Green Party said today. Mr Shaw was responding to the Climate Action Tracker report undertaken by four independent European research organisations:  Climate Analytics, Ecofys, NewClimate Institute and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.  It has developed a method to measure the fairness of governmental climate action efforts. “It looks as though the National Government...

New leaked documents from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) show that New Zealanders could lose access to affordable medication, said the Green Party today.

Further falls overnight in dairy auction prices have highlighted the failure of National’s economic strategy, the Green Party said today. Dairy prices fell a further 11 percent overnight, reaching their lowest point in six years at US$2054 a tonne. Increasing supply suggests there could be more bad news to come. “National has failed to build a strong, resilient export sector,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “The simplification of our export economy to a few basic commodity exports like milk...

Foreign Minister Murray McCully must be clear whether New Zealand stands to get back any of the $11 million of taxpayer money, which he invested in a Saudi sheep farm, in the event the businessman who owns the farms sells up, the Green Party said today.

The New Zealand Government must dramatically increase its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as public demands for change both at home and internationally raise serious questions about inaction on climate, the Green Party said today. Last night, a Dutch court ordered the Dutch Government to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent in the next five years, in order to protect its citizens from climate change. It had been sued by citizens for neglecting to look after its people....

John Key must act today to stand down his Foreign Affairs Minister as the evidence mounts that Murray McCully has mislead both Cabinet and New Zealanders in his bid to further the interests of a Saudi businessman, the Green Party said today. Today the Green Party revealed details in a 2011 letter to Mr McCully showing he had been actively involved in talks with Saudi businessman Hamood Al-Ali Al-Khalaf about the resumption of live sheep transports to Saudi Arabia since...

The New Zealand public deserve to know the full facts behind the Saudi sheep scandal and the only way this will occur is through the Auditor-General investigating the matter, Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. The Government has paid $11 million to an influential Saudi businessman to prevent a ‘possible’ lawsuit over a false promise the National Party made to the businessman before they were in Government.

After weeks of misleading statements, it’s time the Government comes clean about the Saudi sheep scandal, the Green Party said today. “It’s clear that Murray McCully and John Key knew the supposed legal threat was completely empty all along. But they still used this empty legal threat to justify spending $11.5 million on establishing a sheep farm in a Saudi desert,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “We need the truth about whether Foreign Minister Murray McCully deliberately mislead Parliament...

The Pope’s unprecedented call for genuine action on climate change by governments highlights the National Government’s failure to reduce New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Party said today. “The Pope warns of Governments who mask the problem of climate change rather than implementing genuine solutions, a criticism that speaks to the heart of the National Government’s actions,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. The papal encyclical, released overnight, says: “Many of those who possess more resources and...