The Government must learn from its mistakes with the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), not repeat them with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal, the Green Party said today. RCEP is a proposed trade agreement between 14 Asian countries, Australia, and New Zealand. Negotiations were held in Auckland this week. These included a public engagement session at which Trade Minister Todd McClay and officials heard questions and concerns from organisations and business stakeholders. “Comments from the Government suggest...

It’s time for the National Government to step up and do the right thing to reduce climate pollution as data shows New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever, the Green Party said today. The Greenhouse Gas inventory released by the Ministry for the Environment shows that New Zealand’s emissions have risen 23 percent since 1990, when the Government should be focussing on reducing emissions. “After eight years in government and lots of talk about reducing climate pollution, National...

The Green Party is calling on Climate Minister Paula Bennett to set a firm deadline within in the next four years for including agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme.

The Green Party is calling on the Government to target aid towards Pacific Island communities forced to migrate because of rising seas, after a new study revealed that the Solomon Islands are already being significantly affected by climate-related sea-level rise. 

The Green Party is calling on the Government to require all public fund managers to disclose their exposure to climate risks following a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) highlighting the financial risks of climate change for New Zealand. The PCE, in her submission on the Emissions Trading Scheme review, said today that climate change poses a threat to New Zealand's the financial resilience and long term prosperity. Finance Minister Bill English has previously dismissed the PCE's...

New Climate Minister Paula Bennett has notched up her second major fail for the climate in a week, overseeing a decision to keep burning coal at the Huntly power station until 2022, the Green Party said today.

The National Government must change its economic strategy if it is to have any hope of stopping climate change, the Green Party said today. The comments come following the release of a Royal Society NZ report showing wide-ranging measures must be adopted to curb climate pollution in New Zealand. “New Zealand's top scientists have shown in this report that reducing emissions will require a re-think of the current strategy for agriculture, and that climate targets won’t be met by relying...

Climate Minister Paula Bennett acknowledged this morning on TVNZ’s Q&A that the National Government had knowingly allowed business to buy carbon credits in the Ukraine and Russia that did not result in actual cuts in emissions, the Green Party said today.   This acknowledgement comes in the wake of a report by the Morgan Foundation which showed these false cuts in pollution equated to a quarter of the emissions the Government claimed to have reduced between 2008 and 2012. “Minister...

The Green Party is calling the concept of a 1.3 million hectare Forest Future a potential game-changer that could give New Zealand a real shot a creating a safer climate for future generations. Climate-focused business group Pure Advantage today released a report calling for the planting of 1.3 million hectares of forest to combat climate change and shift New Zealander to a low-carbon economy. “Planting on this scale is a huge but necessary step towards creating a safer climate for...

A major report detailing the impacts of climate change on New Zealand is a reality check for the Government, and shows National needs to stop talking and start acting to combat climate pollution, the Green Party said today. A major report released today by a group of top scientists and academics at the Royal Society of New Zealand shows that a failure to reduce climate-damaging pollution will put coastal property and infrastructure at risk, double the frequency of droughts in...