National's support for the country's first three emissions budgets cements climate action for years to come, Climate Change Minister James Shaw says.
James Shaw speaking to media at Parliament Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Labour and National have both committed to the budgets, which set caps for New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions for the next 15 years.
Political parties today shared their views on the topic in a special Parliamentary debate, recommended by the Climate Change Commission.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw billed the budgets as the "final piece of the framework" needed to embed enduring climate action in Aotearoa.
"We have never before had a binding domestic framework for cutting the pollution that we put into the atmosphere that causes global warming.
"And we put this framework in place to give New Zealand a much needed sense of certainty and predictability to future climate change policy."
Shaw said the politicisation of climate policy had stalled climate action for too long and emissions budgets would ensure progress is made no matter who is in power.
"It is a generational challenge. It requires a level of consistency across governments and across decades. And the critical thing about this framework is that the imperative is set and the direction of travel is clear."
National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis said while her party was committed to the budgets, it might have a different approach on how to meet them.
"As with all government policies and spending, we need effective and efficient climate change policies, and so while we agree with the goal, we will not always agree on the path.
Nicola Willis Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"We have choices about how we reduce our emissions, and some choices will be better than others. We want to do what works and what works best for the climate."
Shaw said the agreement was a significant milestone for climate change policy in New Zealand that built on the cross-party support seen when the Zero Carbon Act was passed last year.
"I do want to give credit where it's due to the National Party for their speeches, because they did maintain that line that that framework is important.
"It was very important, I think, for New Zealanders to hear that no matter what government there is that you're going to see those emissions budgets over the course of the next 15 years."
While Labour, National and the Green Party are on board with the emissions budgets, the ACT Party and Te Pāti Māori are not.
ACT's climate change spokesperson Simon Court said the budgets were a waste of time.
"These budgets are nothing more than a fashion parade of green policy which will cost New Zealand families and businesses billions," he said.
"They won't do anything to reduce emissions any faster than the Emissions Trading Scheme already allows us to do."
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said they opposed the budgets for the opposite reason - that they would not go far enough.
"Te Pāti Māori does not support the proposed emission budgets - it's disappointingly weak - as we believe that they should be tighter and more ambitious.
"In particular, it is crucial that the budgets are updated to reflect the more urgent action that is needed on methane emissions. We are pushing for the government on immediately putting a price on methane emissions, phasing out synthetic fertilisers by 2025, and putting numbers on cow numbers."
The Emissions Reduction Plan - which will set out how the government will meet the emissions budgets - is due out on Monday.
