Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern moves that this House:
- declare a climate emergency, following the finding of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that, to avoid a more than 1.5°C rise in global warming, global emissions would need to fall by around 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero by around 2050;
- recognise the advocacy of New Zealanders in calling for action to protect the environment and reduce the impact of human activity on the climate;
- join the over 1,800 jurisdictions in 32 countries to declare a climate emergency and commit to reducing emissions to avoid a more than 1.5°C rise in global warming;
- recognise the devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather will have on New Zealand and the wellbeing on New Zealanders, on our primary industries, water availability, and public health, through flooding, sea level rise, and wildfire damage;
- note that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, that the Government has made significant progress on meeting that challenge through the Paris Agreement and the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, and that New Zealand has committed to taking urgent action on greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change adaptation;
- acknowledge the core tenets of New Zealand’s response by establishing emissions budgets that set us on a path to net zero by 2050, setting a price on emissions through the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, transitioning to a low-carbon economy and planning for climate adaption;
- implement the policies required to meet the targets in the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, and to increase support for striving towards 100% renewable electricity generation, low carbon energy and transport systems;
- seize the economic opportunities a clean, green reputation provides;
- create green jobs in the low-carbon economy while managing risks for workers and communities currently reliant on carbon-intensive sectors;
- recognise the alarming trend in species decline and global biodiversity crisis, including the decline in Aotearoa’s indigenous biodiversity, and acknowledge New Zealand’s strategic framework for the protection and restoration of biodiversity Te Mana o te Taiao;
- note the Government will take further steps towards reducing and eliminating waste; and
- show leadership and demonstrate what is possible to other sectors of the New Zealand economy by reducing the Government’s own emissions and becoming a carbon-neutral Government by 2025.
This declaration is just the next step in our plan for a net carbon zero future. You can read more about our record on climate action and our plan for lasting change here.
