Government's Climate Denial Finally Challenged By UK Government

‘High level of interest’: UK ministers questioned Kiwis on climate

Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies which scale back efforts to cut methane and stop gas use, according to newly released documents form the UK Foreign Office.

The UK Government says it is “encouraging” New Zealand to reduce emissions further, following announcements last year about investing in oil and gas, and halving the methane reduction target.

The UK’s views about New Zealand’s climate change policies matter because New Zealand’s trade with the UK depends on our climate change commitments. That deal is worth $1 billion per year to New Zealand.

Last year, Stuff revealed the UK was raising concerns about the coalition’s climate policies. Those concerns started in May, when Regional Development Minister Shane Jones secured $200 million to invest in oil and gas exploration. They continued in October, when the Government halved New Zealand’s methane reduction target.

Stuff

YES!

Our Government has waged a relentless war on the environment since gaining power as pay back to their Farmer mates and Big Polluter donors.

At some point we were going to get pulled up by our trading partners who do believe that climate change is real!

We beg our trading partners – punish us for our climate sins because Big Dairy have totally captured the Political Class and refuse pint blank to do anything other than more cows.

It’s time to dump bi-partisanship and allow the Dairy Industry to get smashed, especially since Fonterra sold out their social contract with Kiwis.

Labour foolishly (enabled by James Shaw) tried to cut deals with Farmers and Farmers turned and shat in our face!

Dark money from the agricultural industry soaks into the astro-turf Taxpayer’s Union stable of clients and enables Groundswell to stop any environmental improvements.

National disgracefully appointed a Dairy Industry Stooge as the Chief Scientist while bring back the 100% Pure greenwash tourism campaign!

Just consider the manner in which Corporate Dairy have seized control of NZ’s political right…

The Climate Change Commission recommends methane cuts of 35-47%. However, under pressure from lobby groups like Federated Farmers – whose ex-President Andrew Hoggard is now an ACT Party MP – the Government established a separate panel to review the methane target in line with this controversial tool. That panel landed on a much weaker methane target.

…this total policy capture by polluter interests is the reason we are being attacked on the global stage by International Climate Scientists…

Scientists accuse New Zealand and Ireland of trying to cover up livestock emissions

Leading climate scientists have accused politicians in New Zealand and Ireland of using an “accounting trick” to back their sheep and cattle industries, warning their support for methane-emitting livestock could undermine global efforts to fight climate change. In an open letter shared with the Financial Times, 26 climate scientists from around the world warned that New Zealand’s proposed new methane targets risk setting a dangerous precedent.

…that’s right!

The Corporate Dairy industry has spent millions donating to National and putting dark money into Right Wing astroturf organisations to shut down any meaningful climate emissions targets that the rest of the world has noticed the policy corruption and are now calling us out.

We are being attacked internationally for being a climate criminal all because National refuse to stand up to their Corporate Dairy interests.

The Carbon Capture ‘technology’ that National have banked all our emission offsets on doesn’t work…

Carbon capture: Pivotal project for cutting greenhouse gas emissions looks shaky

A critical part of the government’s plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years appears to have fallen over.

…and in the last budget National cut 50% to climate finance, barely any cuts to emissions, all while slashing foreign aid for our Pacific brothers and sisters by cutting climate aid by $100m.

This Government is a Climate Denial Government who are refusing to do anything about the coming adaptation because they are paid by the polluters.

A cow shits the same as 14 humans, we have 10 million cows, that’s the equivalent of 140million humans pissing and shitting into our rivers!

We must brutally take the Framing Industry to court for their environmental crimes, which is exactly what happened last month…

Climate Legal Action Necessary Response To Govt Inaction – NZCTU

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi welcomes the legal action taken against the Minister of Climate Change by a coalition of legal experts as an important step in ensuring that Aotearoa meets its climate action obligations.

“We strongly support legal action to ensure that the Government is held to account for its legal obligations under the Climate Change Response Act,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“The union movement is deeply concerned by the Emissions Reduction Plan 2026-2030, which contains no significant policies to reduce emissions and will fail to get New Zealand meaningfully closer to our 2050 net-zero commitment.

“The actions – or lack of them – by this Government on climate change are the actions of climate deniers, not responsible leaders.

“Workers and communities need real political leadership that combats global emissions and invests in creating a just transition for industries and workers. We need leadership that develops and upholds long term consensus, not more U-turns.

“Instead, we have a government that cancelled 35 climate policies without consulting the public first, as required by law. Robust public engagement is essential.

“Climate policy is yet another area where this Government is prioritising corporate interests over democratic accountability and the interests of working people.

“Evidence is clear that a near-total focus on tree planting through vast pine forests is not a sufficient response – we must reduce emissions at source.

“Alongside the weak emissions budget, in Budget 2025 we saw a total abdication of responsibility on climate change and ensuring a Just Transition for working people in an increasingly volatile world.

“The NZCTU supports bold climate action to reduce emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and transition to a zero emissions economy that provides full employment for workers,” said Wagstaff.