The Government cannot ignore the tens of thousands that have signed their name to a petition calling for the oil and gas ban to remain.

“Climate change is here. The Government must listen to the more than 36,000 people who have called them out on their plans to pour oil and gas on the climate crisis fire,” says the Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“Floods, fires and extreme weather events have arrived. Climate change is no longer abstract. We can have a clean, green economy that uplifts people and the planet, instead of exploiting them. Fossil fuels must be left in the ground and renewable energy must be prioritised.

“A huge, people-powered movement led to the previous Government ending new exploration for offshore oil and gas. We’ve fought the fossil fuel industry before and won, and we’ll do it again. We’re asking the Government to look at the evidence, look at the environment we all value, and stand on the right side of history.

“Today in Question Time, the Prime Minister confirmed he didn’t really know nor care about how re-opening drilling doesn’t stack up - environmentally, economically or scientifically.

“The good news is, the Greens will reinstate the ban to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Our message to the oil, coal and gas executives who this government wants to roll out the red carpet for is simple: don’t come.

“The Government can’t crow about our obvious potential to electrify the country on the one hand while simultaneously arguing to dig up and burn more oil, coal and gas.

“True energy resilience lies in tapping into the abundant power of the natural world around us, not burning our hopes of a liveable future,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

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