The Government has today announced its 2025 budget.

“This is not a budget that will set Aotearoa New Zealand up to become a thriving low-emissions economy. It is distinctly unambitious and doesn’t treat climate change as a priority”, says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director at Lawyers for Climate Action NZ.

“This is another lost opportunity for New Zealand.”

“The transition to a low-emissions economy is an opportunity for New Zealand to improve its standard of living with a cheaper and more secure energy system powered by renewables, better public and active transport options, and to get ahead of climate risks by building our resilience and supporting adaptation in our most vulnerable communities.”

“This budget misses the mark. Rather than taking advantage of the opportunities the low-emissions transition presents, the budget embraces fossil fuels - providing $200M for the Government to invest in new gas fields. As many of our international peers move away from fossil fuels, we’re doing the opposite.”

And what about our Paris Agreement commitments?

“The budget does not make the investments required to meet our 2030 Paris Agreement target. The government has accepted that there is an 84 million tonne CO2-e gap between what our domestic emissions reductions will achieve and what our 2030 target requires. The 2025 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update acknowledges that “it is likely that meeting this target would involve significant costs, starting within the current fiscal forecast period”.”

“Without allocating any money to filling that gap, it is hard to believe the Government is serious about meeting our international climate commitments”, says Palairet.

“Failing to take active steps towards meeting its international climate obligations risks placing New Zealand in breach of its Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom, possibly opening New Zealand up to the risk of trade sanctions.”

“The Government has also reduced the funding New Zealand provides to support our Pacific partners with climate finance, leaving a $100M per year gap. The investment provided under this budget falls well short of our commitment under the Paris Agreement, made worse by the fact that the funding tagged for international development cooperation is “not exclusively focused on meeting climate finance objectives.”

“This budget was a missed opportunity. We call on the Government to properly consider climate opportunities and risks, and set New Zealand up for success into the future”.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc is an incorporated society committed to using the law to drive action on climate change. We have no vested interest other than seeing New Zealand meaningfully contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement in light of the science of climate change as expressed by the IPCC. More information about LCANZI can be found on our website: www.lawyersforclimateaction.nz

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