September 19th, 2024
Greenpeace Aotearoa has called on political parties in New Zealand to take immediate action to address the urgent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The environmental organisation outlined its key policy recommendations in a briefing, highlighting the need for policies that will dramatically reduce New Zealand's ecological and climate footprint.
Why it matters: The environmental crisis, as evidenced by the recent Cyclone Gabrielle tragedy, is affecting homes, communities, health, food supply, and livelihoods through an increased frequency of droughts, superstorms, and sea level rise. Greenpeace Aotearoa's Amanda Larsson emphasises the interconnectedness of these issues, stating, "The biodiversity crisis is also having enormous impacts, with the systematic destruction of forests and land-based ecosystems contributing not only to global heating and the loss of the planet’s life support systems but to the emergence of new diseases like Covid-19."
The weight of the future: "You hold the weight of our futures and our children’s futures in your hands. If there ever was a time to be unwaveringly courageous, it is now," Larsson warns political parties. She emphasises that a lack of ambitious policy could lock us into more extreme climate and ecological devastation.
Key Policy Recommendations: The briefing outlined policies that would have a significant positive impact on New Zealand's ecological and climate footprint. These include honouring the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, transforming land-use, protecting the oceans, powering New Zealand on clean electricity, and reforming fit-for-purpose laws and government agencies.
On the ground changes: Greenpeace calls for the phasing out of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, and establishing a $1 billion regenerative organic farming fund. In terms of protecting the oceans, an independent review of fisheries management, mandatory cameras on commercial fishing vessels, and a ban on seabed mining in New Zealand’s EEZ are among the recommended actions.
The bigger picture: "With courageous leadership, we can forge a future that’s safe from industry-made flooding, storm surges, sea level rises, droughts and wildfires. We can make Aotearoa and the world a better, safer, sounder place to live for our kids and our grandchildren," Larsson asserts.
What's next: The ball is now in the court of the political parties. Their decisions on these recommended policy changes will significantly influence the trajectory of New Zealand's environmental future.