New Zealand introduces Zero Carbon Bill

The government of New Zealand has unveiled a plan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, says: “To address the long-term challenge of climate change, today we introduce the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill to Parliament.” James Shaw, minister for climate change, says: “The critical thing is to do everything we can over the next 30 years to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and the Zero Carbon Bill makes that a legally bindin
May 10, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
The government of New Zealand has unveiled a plan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.


Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, says: “To address the long-term challenge of climate change, today we introduce the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill to Parliament.”

James Shaw, minister for climate change, says: “The critical thing is to do everything we can over the next 30 years to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and the Zero Carbon Bill makes that a legally binding objective.”

Shaw explains that the government has listened to “science and also heard from industry” to create a target for a 10% reduction in biological methane emissions by 2030, with a provisional range of between 24% to 47% by 2050.

This range will be subject to review by the independent Climate Change Commission in 2024, taking into account changes in “scientific knowledge and other developments”.

According to Shaw, the commission will support the emissions reductions targets through advice, guidance and regular five-yearly emissions budgets.

“The Bill also creates a legal obligation on the Government to plan for how it will support New Zealand towns and cities, business and farmers to adapt to the increasingly severe storms, floods, fires and droughts we are experiencing as a result of climate change,” he adds.

Shaw insists that everyone has a part to play in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global temperature increases.

“That includes New Zealanders making their contribution to see the Zero Carbon Bill become law by the end of this year,” Shaw concludes.

Related Content

  • November 13, 2019
    New York transit joins Paris greenhouse gas initiative
    New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris document seeks to keep a global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level and to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The SBTi is a joint partnership between United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund and non-profit
    Read More
  • August 4, 2015
    Survey: Majority of UK public remains worried about global warming
    A new survey of over 2,000 members of the public by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and ICM Unlimited has found that 57 per cent of the public are worried about global warming, with 14 per cent saying they were ‘very worried’. The poll found that 64 per cent of people think global warming is already a problem now, while 70 per cent said they think global warming will be a problem in 20 years’ time. The main issues the respondents said they were worried about were flooding and sea level rises (63
    Read More
  • April 20, 2021
    Bill Halkias: 'We need a sustainable world'
    In the first of our Tolling Matters interview series, Bill Halkias, MD & CEO of Attica Tollway Operations Authority and president of the International Road Federation, talks to Adam Hill about post-Covid recovery and sustainable mobility
    Read More
  • October 12, 2018
    AVERE slams EU Council CO2 position
    Electromobility trade association AVERE has slammed a key European Union Council position on future CO2 emissions in cars. AVERE says the stance agreed this week by EU environment ministers “falls short in providing the e-mobility sector with right signals to support the e-mobility transition”. The Council has suggested that cars should put out 35% less CO2 by 2030 compared to 2020 – but just last week MEPs called for a 40% cut. This means that EU states have chosen “to support and prop up old business m
    Read More

Highlighted Content