New Zealand passed landmark legislation last Thursday referred to as the Zero Carbon Amendment Bill.

The Bill amends New Zealand’s Climate Change Responses Act 2002, legislating New Zealand’s ambition to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreements target of 1.5°C.

A regulatory impact statement says that the New Zealand Government will continue to engage with local government in the transition to a low-emissions economy.

The key aims of the Bill are to establish: 

• New greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, specifically

  • A reduction of biogenic methane emission to within the range of 24-47% below 2017 levels by 2050

  • A reduction of all other greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050

  • Interim targets for biogenic methane of 10% reduction below 2017 levels by 2030

• A system of emissions budgets that require Government to develop and implement policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation working as stepping stones to achieving the emissions reduction targets

• A new, independent Climate Change Commission to provide expert advice and monitoring to keep successive governments on track to meeting the targets

The Bill proposes separate targets for biogenic methane because methane is a short-lived gas and degrades into the atmosphere over the decades even though it is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Biogenic methane is emitted by livestock, waste treatment and wetlands.

The idea for the Bill was initially proposed by the youth-led climate organisation, Generation Zero in the lead up to the 2017 New Zealand general elections. New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister James Shaw said,

 “In April this year, tens of thousands of New Zealand school students went on strike to protest the failure of adults to take decisive action over the last 30 years. This Bill presents our plan for how we act over the next 30 years, to safeguard their future – and that of their children,”

Work on establishing the independent Climate Change Commission has already begun and is expected to be functioning by mid-December 2019. The Climate Change Commission will provide independent advice to Government on issues such as emissions budgets, emissions reduction plans, and making sure the 2050 target remains appropriate over time. 

In considering the Commission’s advice, the Minister for Climate Change will be supported by the Ministry for the Environment in the setting of emissions budgets and development of emissions reductions plans. There will be a transitional period to 2021 to get the provisions under the Act up and running.

The Ministry has also begun work on the first National Climate Change Risk Assessment. The Government will use it to prioritise action to reduce risks or take advantage of opportunities through a national adaptation plan.