Wild fires a sign of things to come

The wild fires burning in Hawke’s Bay and near Christchurch are an unfortunate sign of things to come if action isn't taken by governments to halt the climate crisis, the Green Party said today.

The Ministry for the Environment estimates that longer and more frequent droughts, combined with water shortages, are likely to increase the risk of wildfires in Hawke's Bay and parts of Canterbury.

“The wild fires we are seeing in the Hawke’s Bay and around Christchurch mirror long-term climate change scenarios where wildfires are an increased risk in both regions," said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.

“My thoughts go out to the people experiencing these fires first-hand, who have lost homes, property, or who have had near misses.

“You have the Salvation Army’s Emergency Services saying this has been the worst season for rural fires in Hawke's Bay in the past 16 years.

“The science tells us climate change is likely to cause more frequent droughts, increased water shortages and increased risk of wildfires. If we ignore that warning we’re putting people and their livelihoods at risk.

“People in the Hawke's Bay and Canterbury are used to dealing with drought and fire risk, but no one wants to see this get worse.

“The Government has a moral responsibility to do its bit to eliminate climate pollution, to ensure the next generation doesn’t inherit a country where more frequent wild fires are the norm.

“The Green Party in government would make sure the biggest climate polluters pay for their emissions, prioritise transport investment in clean-energy rail and public transport, and transition New Zealand to 100 percent renewable electricity.

“National has instead allowed climate pollution to rise 19 percent since taking power,” said Mr Shaw.

Action

Tell us your stories about our special places

Share with us your stories about the places threatened by being fast tracked for mining permits.

Action

RENAME, REWRITE, and REJECT the Regulatory Standards Bill

Submit your suggested changes to the Regulatory Standards Bill! Tell us how you'd change the bill and we could take it to the House!

Action

Anniversary of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill Referendum

If we were to legally regulate cannabis in Aotearoa, what kind of rules would you want to see around access, possession, use, regulations on sale, ...

Action

Save our Polytechs: Campaign Packs

Want to see more supports for our Polytechs? Use these resources to support the campaign!

Action

Save Our Polytechs Petition

Sign our petition today and join us in calling on the Minister for Vocational Education, Hon Penny Simmonds, to Save our Polytechs!

Action

Protect our tamariki - Sign the open letter

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up with safety and stability, wrapped in aroha. Sign our open letter today and help make that a reality!

Action

Stop Growing Homelessness

Sign our petition asking Luxon and Bishop to take action to stop homelessness increasing in Aotearoa.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

Luxon government backtrack on climate recognised at COP30

Aotearoa New Zealand has today been recognised internationally for all the wrong reasons, presented with the ‘Fossil of the Day’ mantle at COP30 ov...

Luxon’s Government shreds climate consensus

Late last night, the Government announced some of the most significant sweeping changes in recent memory to destroy climate action.

Govt’s Climate Adaptation plan leaves work to be done

The Government’s National Adaptation Framework, released this morning, has a way to go when it comes to clarity for communities, support, and meani...

Govt’s downgrade of methane target an accounting trick with devastating real-world consequences

Luxon’s Government halving of methane targets under the guise of “no additional warming” is a cheap accounting trick that will cost our country dea...

Govt’s ETS auction fails for the eighth time

Another Emissions Trading Scheme auction has failed, throwing the Government’s failure on climate into stark focus.

Govt pours oil and gas on climate fire as ban repealed

Today, Christopher Luxon’s Government committed to higher power bills and fossil fuel dependence. This Government keeps choosing to undermine our r...