Megan Woods says National’s opposition of climate policies leaves Christopher Luxon with a hole greater than Auckland’s annual emissions twice over (Photos: RNZ/Angus Dreaver)
Megan Woods says National’s opposition of climate policies leaves Christopher Luxon with a hole greater than Auckland’s annual emissions twice over (Photos: RNZ/Angus Dreaver)

The BulletinNovember 16, 2022

Labour takes a big swing at National on climate change

Megan Woods says National’s opposition of climate policies leaves Christopher Luxon with a hole greater than Auckland’s annual emissions twice over (Photos: RNZ/Angus Dreaver)
Megan Woods says National’s opposition of climate policies leaves Christopher Luxon with a hole greater than Auckland’s annual emissions twice over (Photos: RNZ/Angus Dreaver)
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Labour says National are “at best greenwashing, at worst they are climate change denying”. The accusations come a day after New Zealand was awarded the dubious honour of Fossil of the Day at Cop27, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here.

 

Labour accuses National of greenwashing, being climate change “denying”

Labour is out this morning with some figures based on Ministry of Environment modelling which they say shows “the net effect of constantly opposing policies to reduce emissions leaves Christopher Luxon with a hole greater than Auckland’s annual emissions twice over if he keeps New Zealand’s climate targets.” Labour’s climate change spokesperson Megan Woods said: “When Luxon came in as the saviour of the National Party he called climate change the ‘preeminent issue of our generation, without doubt’ and ‘the number one issue around the world we have to deal with’ – what happened? At best the National Party is greenwashing, at worst they are climate change denying.”

“Always a great idea to release statements late on a Saturday night when everyone is partying and maybe too hungover”

These very strong words have been rebuked by National’s acting climate change spokesman Todd Muller who called the attack a “desperate beat-up by the Labour Party”. National backed the Zero Carbon Act last term, although it wants to make some changes. The party is yet to release its final climate policy ahead of the election. Labour’s swing comes a day after New Zealand was awarded “Fossil of the Day” at Cop27, an award designed to shame countries that stymie progress at global climate talks. You can see the certificate for yourself right here. It’s awarded by the Climate Action Network (CAN). The statement from CAN notes that it’s “always a great idea to release low-ambition climate statements late on a Saturday night when everyone is partying and maybe too hungover.”

Government pledges another $15m from last year’s $1.3b funding commitment

As Stuff’s Olivia Wannan reports, the Fossil of the Day award is for our statement supporting a call by other developed countries for negotiations on creating a central loss and damage fund to carry on for two more years. Minister of climate change James Shaw said “We want to make sure we don’t foreclose any options on the precise arrangements for how loss and damage funding is delivered, as small countries like those in the Pacific can find working with the large global funds quite difficult and frustrating.” The government pledged another $15m yesterday towards assisting countries with adapting to the impacts of climate change. That will be drawn from the $1.3b funding commitment made last year.

“We are not drowning, we are fighting”.

This issue of loss and damage is being pushed hard at Cop27 by smaller and developing nations. Ellen Rykers covered it very well in last week’s edition of our environment newsletter, Future Proof and will pick up more Cop27 coverage in today’s edition. Our statement about wanting the loss and damage fund negotiations to carry on for two more years was in support of a call from the UK. The UK has failed to pay out more than $300m that it promised to two key climate funds. Concerns are mounting about Rishi Sunak’s commitment to climate change. In our neck of the woods, Pacific nations are calling out Australia and the US on their lack of progress, taking to the streets to protest, chanting ​​”We are not drowning, we are fighting”.

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    Keep going!
    The burial of the Resource Management Act gets closer to completion with today’s announcement on the regime that will replace it (Photo: Getty Images)
    The burial of the Resource Management Act gets closer to completion with today’s announcement on the regime that will replace it (Photo: Getty Images)

    The BulletinNovember 15, 2022

    RIP to the RMA

    The burial of the Resource Management Act gets closer to completion with today’s announcement on the regime that will replace it (Photo: Getty Images)
    The burial of the Resource Management Act gets closer to completion with today’s announcement on the regime that will replace it (Photo: Getty Images)

    Governments have been trying to repeal the Resource Management Act for 14 years and it’s very nearly buried. Today, David Parker will unveil the final details of its replacement, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here.

     

    Tripling in size since its introduction, the RMA almost has both feet in the grave

    Passed in 1991, the Resource Management Act (RMA) was a world first, designed to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. The RMA was introduced in 1989 by Sir Geoffrey Palmer as a 314 page bill; the Act is now over 900 pages long. Successive governments have been trying to reform it since 2008. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern described it as a “patchwork that isn’t working any more” at a recent Business NZ function. Today, after months of delays, we will get the final details of the RMA’s replacement. Three bills will take its place – the Natural and Built Environment bill, the Spatial Planning Bill and the Climate Adaptation Bill, which is expected to be introduced in 2023.

    Big day for David Parker who’s “barely come up for air from RMA reforms”

    The RMA and its reform is at the axis of some of the biggest issues of our time – housing, infrastructure development, environmental protection and climate change adaptation. The reform has been environment minister David Parker’s baby. As Audrey Young writes in this recent performance evaluation of ministers (paywalled), Parker has “barely come up for air from RMA reforms”. Climate change minister James Shaw cited the RMA reform as one of the major planks of policy “coming into place” for New Zealand to be on the right side of history before he headed to Cop27. Whatever’s announced, you can expect the opposition will have a reaction at the ready. Last week’s pizza and policy session (paywalled) for the National party involved a paper on the RMA from environment spokesman Scott Simpson.

    “A faster, cheaper, better” version of the RMA

    Criticisms of the RMA over the years could easily fill 900 pages. Ultimately, while many still endorse the spirit of the Act in its protection of the environment, it also hasn’t protected it enough. It’s also been partly blamed for the current housing shortage in New Zealand, stymying development with long and cumbersome processes. As the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan writes, deputy prime minister Grant Roberson said yesterday the legislation would save users of the resource management system 19% a year, “about $149m a year”. We know co- governance is off the table, that there’s a focus on early decision-making and streamlining the number of resource management plans produced by local government (from more than 100 to 14), and that it will involve more direction at a national level.

    Salmon farm consent will number among Act’s final rides

    As the sun sets on one of our most significant and controversial pieces of legislation, we will be able to count consent for open water salmon farms among the Act’s final rides. Bulletin readers should be familiar with my unusual interest in salmon and might recall the 1,300 tonnes of salmon that died at a Marlborough Sounds salmon farm due to an oceanic heat wave. Back in July, New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne said a bespoke piece of legislation, rather than the lengthy RMA process, would’ve likely saved the salmon and their business. New Zealand King Salmon has finally been granted consent to establish two open water farms (paywalled) in cooler waters after a three-year resource consent process. It’s a long-awaited win for sustainable aquaculture and climate adaptation, and one of the many examples of why few will mourn the Act’s demise.