The Climate Change Commission has published their first draft advice on what Aotearoa New Zealand needs to do to meet the scale of the climate crisis, and meet our obligations as a signatory of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Public consultation on the draft advice runs from February 1 until March 28.

The Commission Chair Dr Rod Carr says that the Government must move faster – and support business, agriculture and community to do the same. 

“There are a few actions that are critical to meeting our targets: electric vehicles, accelerated renewable energy generation, climate friendly farming practices and more permanent forests, predominantly natives,” he says.

The government has announced new Clean Car Standards, which will encourage car importers to bring more fuel-efficient cars into the country, and is looking to mandate a lower-emitting biofuel blend across the transport sector. They will also be working with councils to fully decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035, with electric only buses to be bought from 2025. 

Details on how to make a submission and to hear more from the Commission are here and here.

Image: Climate Change Commission