In several countries, court rulings have forced governments to make stronger cuts to emissions. But New Zealand courts have so far stayed clear of imposing legal steps, calling for regulation instead.
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Articles on Zero Carbon Act
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New Zealand’s international pledges, domestic laws and carbon budgets run on different timelines. They could be better aligned to make sure everyone understands how Aotearoa plans to cut emissions.
New Zealand is one of few countries to enshrine a zero-carbon goal in law, but current climate policies don’t keep up with that ambition.
New Zealand’s climate policy is largely copied from other countries, and when judged against objectives such as the 1.5°C target, its actions remain inadequate.
I have criticised this government’s climate policy in the past for being big on promise but short on concrete policies. But this financial disclosure policy has some real teeth.
A new report suggests New Zealand should rethink climate policy and use forests to offset only agricultural emissions, which make up half of the country’s total emissions, and not carbon dioxide.
New Zealand could become the first country to put a price on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
New Zealand has set itself a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and a recent report by the Productivity Commission lays out how it could hit that target.
