Latest news with #Palairet
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Statement On 2025 Budget By Lawyers For Climate Action
Press Release – Lawyers for Climate Action The budget does not make the investments required to meet our 2030 Paris Agreement target. The government has accepted that there is an 84 million tonne CO2-e gap between what our domestic emissions reductions will achieve and what our 2030 target requires. The Government has today announced its 2025 budget. 'This is not a budget that will set Aotearoa New Zealand up to become a thriving low-emissions economy. It is distinctly unambitious and doesn't treat climate change as a priority', says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director at Lawyers for Climate Action NZ. 'This is another lost opportunity for New Zealand.' 'The transition to a low-emissions economy is an opportunity for New Zealand to improve its standard of living with a cheaper and more secure energy system powered by renewables, better public and active transport options, and to get ahead of climate risks by building our resilience and supporting adaptation in our most vulnerable communities.' 'This budget misses the mark. Rather than taking advantage of the opportunities the low-emissions transition presents, the budget embraces fossil fuels – providing $200M for the Government to invest in new gas fields. As many of our international peers move away from fossil fuels, we're doing the opposite.' And what about our Paris Agreement commitments? 'The budget does not make the investments required to meet our 2030 Paris Agreement target. The government has accepted that there is an 84 million tonne CO2-e gap between what our domestic emissions reductions will achieve and what our 2030 target requires. The 2025 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update acknowledges that 'it is likely that meeting this target would involve significant costs, starting within the current fiscal forecast period'.' 'Without allocating any money to filling that gap, it is hard to believe the Government is serious about meeting our international climate commitments', says Palairet. 'Failing to take active steps towards meeting its international climate obligations risks placing New Zealand in breach of its Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom, possibly opening New Zealand up to the risk of trade sanctions.' 'The Government has also reduced the funding New Zealand provides to support our Pacific partners with climate finance, leaving a $100M per year gap. The investment provided under this budget falls well short of our commitment under the Paris Agreement, made worse by the fact that the funding tagged for international development cooperation is 'not exclusively focused on meeting climate finance objectives.' 'This budget was a missed opportunity. We call on the Government to properly consider climate opportunities and risks, and set New Zealand up for success into the future'. Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc is an incorporated society committed to using the law to drive action on climate change. We have no vested interest other than seeing New Zealand meaningfully contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement in light of the science of climate change as expressed by the IPCC. More information about LCANZI can be found on our website:
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Statement On 2025 Budget By Lawyers For Climate Action
The Government has today announced its 2025 budget. 'This is not a budget that will set Aotearoa New Zealand up to become a thriving low-emissions economy. It is distinctly unambitious and doesn't treat climate change as a priority', says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director at Lawyers for Climate Action NZ. 'This is another lost opportunity for New Zealand.' 'The transition to a low-emissions economy is an opportunity for New Zealand to improve its standard of living with a cheaper and more secure energy system powered by renewables, better public and active transport options, and to get ahead of climate risks by building our resilience and supporting adaptation in our most vulnerable communities.' 'This budget misses the mark. Rather than taking advantage of the opportunities the low-emissions transition presents, the budget embraces fossil fuels - providing $200M for the Government to invest in new gas fields. As many of our international peers move away from fossil fuels, we're doing the opposite.' And what about our Paris Agreement commitments? 'The budget does not make the investments required to meet our 2030 Paris Agreement target. The government has accepted that there is an 84 million tonne CO2-e gap between what our domestic emissions reductions will achieve and what our 2030 target requires. The 2025 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update acknowledges that 'it is likely that meeting this target would involve significant costs, starting within the current fiscal forecast period'.' 'Without allocating any money to filling that gap, it is hard to believe the Government is serious about meeting our international climate commitments', says Palairet. 'Failing to take active steps towards meeting its international climate obligations risks placing New Zealand in breach of its Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom, possibly opening New Zealand up to the risk of trade sanctions.' 'The Government has also reduced the funding New Zealand provides to support our Pacific partners with climate finance, leaving a $100M per year gap. The investment provided under this budget falls well short of our commitment under the Paris Agreement, made worse by the fact that the funding tagged for international development cooperation is 'not exclusively focused on meeting climate finance objectives.' 'This budget was a missed opportunity. We call on the Government to properly consider climate opportunities and risks, and set New Zealand up for success into the future'. Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc is an incorporated society committed to using the law to drive action on climate change. We have no vested interest other than seeing New Zealand meaningfully contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement in light of the science of climate change as expressed by the IPCC. More information about LCANZI can be found on our website:
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Lawyers For Climate Action Files Case Challenging NZ's Climate Ambition In The Supreme Court
Press Release – Lawyers for Climate Action Our targets arent ambitious enough. Supported by seven independent experts, were arguing that the targets are not aligned with whats required to limit warming to 1.5C, and the Commission didnt carry out its analysis in the way the law … Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has today filed an application with the Supreme Court for leave to bring an appeal on the level of ambition of New Zealand's climate targets. The application follows the Court of Appeal's decision earlier this year dismissing the group's case against the Climate Change Commission and the Minister of Climate Change. 'We are generally very supportive of the Climate Change Commission's advice, and they play a critically important role in New Zealand's climate response', says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. 'However, we believe the Climate Change Commission made errors in its early advice to the Minister of Climate Change when setting Aotearoa New Zealand's domestic emissions budgets and revised 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.' 'Our targets aren't ambitious enough. Supported by seven independent experts, we're arguing that the targets are not aligned with what's required to limit warming to 1.5°C, and the Commission didn't carry out its analysis in the way the law requires.' 'The Climate Change Response Act requires our emissions budgets to be ' set with a view to contributing to the global effort under the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels '. However, despite the science telling us that the world needs to halve emissions by 2030 to reduce warming to 1.5°C, our emissions budgets allow net emissions in 2030 to be higher than they were in 2010'. 'We do not believe that allowing our net carbon dioxide emissions to increase can be consistent with the IPCC's analysis or the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C degrees', says Palairet. 'We first filed this case in 2021, and the Court of Appeal released its judgment on 28 March 2025. The Court of Appeal found that although the Commission's advice could be judicially reviewed, the Commission's approach was not unlawful. We respectfully disagree. Because it is such an important issue, we are asking the Supreme Court to consider it. If leave is granted, it will be the first time a case about the Climate Change Response Act 2002 reaches our top court.' 'Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The research has been clear for years that the world needs to cut its emissions in half by 2030 to protect the planet and take advantage of the opportunities that climate action creates. However, despite this urgency, successive governments have failed to make the decisions necessary to secure a safe future.' 'If our targets aren't ambitious enough, this affects our entire climate policy response. It means that our climate policies aren't geared towards achieving the objectives our Government set in the Climate Change Response Act and the Paris Agreement: limiting warming to 1.5°C.' 'We have filed an application to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Court will decide whether to grant leave over the next couple of months, after which, if leave is granted, it will set down a hearing date.' Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc is an incorporated society of lawyers committed to using the law to drive action on climate change. It is bringing this case in the public interest, to clarify the law and ensure better decision-making into the future. Our legal team is working for free, and has done so since we first filed proceedings in 2021.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Lawyers For Climate Action Files Case Challenging NZ's Climate Ambition In The Supreme Court
Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has today filed an application with the Supreme Court for leave to bring an appeal on the level of ambition of New Zealand's climate targets. The application follows the Court of Appeal's decision earlier this year dismissing the group's case against the Climate Change Commission and the Minister of Climate Change. 'We are generally very supportive of the Climate Change Commission's advice, and they play a critically important role in New Zealand's climate response', says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. 'However, we believe the Climate Change Commission made errors in its early advice to the Minister of Climate Change when setting Aotearoa New Zealand's domestic emissions budgets and revised 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.' 'Our targets aren't ambitious enough. Supported by seven independent experts, we're arguing that the targets are not aligned with what's required to limit warming to 1.5°C, and the Commission didn't carry out its analysis in the way the law requires.' 'The Climate Change Response Act requires our emissions budgets to be ' set with a view to contributing to the global effort under the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels '. However, despite the science telling us that the world needs to halve emissions by 2030 to reduce warming to 1.5°C, our emissions budgets allow net emissions in 2030 to be higher than they were in 2010'. 'We do not believe that allowing our net carbon dioxide emissions to increase can be consistent with the IPCC's analysis or the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C degrees', says Palairet. 'We first filed this case in 2021, and the Court of Appeal released its judgment on 28 March 2025. The Court of Appeal found that although the Commission's advice could be judicially reviewed, the Commission's approach was not unlawful. We respectfully disagree. Because it is such an important issue, we are asking the Supreme Court to consider it. If leave is granted, it will be the first time a case about the Climate Change Response Act 2002 reaches our top court.' 'Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The research has been clear for years that the world needs to cut its emissions in half by 2030 to protect the planet and take advantage of the opportunities that climate action creates. However, despite this urgency, successive governments have failed to make the decisions necessary to secure a safe future.' 'If our targets aren't ambitious enough, this affects our entire climate policy response. It means that our climate policies aren't geared towards achieving the objectives our Government set in the Climate Change Response Act and the Paris Agreement: limiting warming to 1.5°C.' 'We have filed an application to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Court will decide whether to grant leave over the next couple of months, after which, if leave is granted, it will set down a hearing date.' Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc is an incorporated society of lawyers committed to using the law to drive action on climate change. It is bringing this case in the public interest, to clarify the law and ensure better decision-making into the future. Our legal team is working for free, and has done so since we first filed proceedings in 2021.
