New Zealand’s government is also under a judicial review. Hundreds of top environmental attorneys are swooping in to test its emissions reduction plan, which they call “dangerously inadequate.” Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, together with the Environmental Law Initiative, have initiated legal action against the government. They argue that the government’s current strategy does not go far enough to fulfill its climate pledges, putting the future of the planet at risk.
The plan to cut emissions, released in December 2022, is meant to be the blueprint for the governing Liberal Party’s path toward reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The country is hurtling toward missing its emissions goals for the next seven years. Critics are right to be the first to ask about the long-term viability of these strategies.
One part of that plan has garnered the most criticism. The government has put its trust in expensive and “high risk” ways, such as pine tree planting over hundreds of thousands of hectares, offsetting carbon emissions. Experts are cautioning that this really isn’t sustainable in the long run. They argue that focusing only on tree planting for net (or negative) reduction is untenable.
The government aims to increase its mineral exports to $3 billion by 2035. This new decision begs the question of whether or how deeply vDOT is committed to honoring federal climate initiatives. Critics say that this obsession with resource extraction directly counters any achievement of overall emissions reduction right at its core. The federal government has cut funding for conservation and climate programs, making the government’s job of meeting its climate commitments even harder.
New Zealand’s historical context reveals a troubling trend. Between 1990 and 2018, the country’s emissions rose by 57%, marking the second-largest increase among industrialized nations. Yet despite New Zealand producing such a low share of global emissions, their gross emissions per capita are still amongst the highest in the world.
The legal claim challenges two primary issues: first, that the government has disregarded numerous credible climate policies, and second, that it failed to properly consult the public regarding these changes.
Jessica Palairet, a representative of the environmental lawyers involved in the case, emphasized the importance of challenging the government’s plan.
“As it stands, the government’s emissions reduction plan will carry huge consequences for our country. We don’t take this step lightly, but the plan needs to be challenged,” – Jessica Palairet
The Labour government of New Zealand passed landmark climate legislation in 2019, committing to reducing domestic carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Recent developments, particularly the election of a new right-wing coalition government, have revealed a more sinister change in behavior. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has refused to comment on the live judicial review. As the matter is now in front of the courts, he is not speaking publicly.
The government is using tree planting to offset carbon emissions. In parallel, it’s looking at more controversial approaches such as underground carbon capture. With few other options should these high-risk approaches go wrong, doubts continue to mount among environmental professionals over their success.
Of equal importance, Chlöe Swarbrick, New Zealand’s leading young political superstar, has condemned the government’s package as inadequate. Her intonation made clear that it “is not worth the paper that it is written on. This sentiment by the mayor is indicative of growing frustrations throughout New Zealand about the shortcomings of existing environmental policies.
The government’s new strategy includes a commitment to restart offshore oil drilling and spend $200 million on gas exploration. This recent move erodes credibility on its repeated claims that it supports sustainable practices. Critics say that these investments are a direct violation of the intent behind reaching net zero emissions.
In New Zealand, as in many countries, there are urgent economic and environmental challenges. The fate of the judicial review will have a tremendous effect on the country’s climate policy going forward. The growing legal challenges underscore a critical moment in New Zealand’s commitment to addressing climate change effectively while balancing economic interests.