New Zealand may miss climate targets due to government policies: report

Recent government climate change policy decisions will see New Zealand miss its own emissions reduction targets, an independent report has warned.

The report by the Climate Change Commission -- released earlier this month but only widely publicised on Wednesday -- said Wellington's right-wing government had ignored emissions-cutting advice in 2025.

"We recommended strengthening the target to require greater levels of biogenic methane reductions and net negative emissions (removing more than are emitted) of all other greenhouse gases," it said.

"The Government responded to our advice by amending the Climate Change Response Act to lessen the reductions of biogenic methane required by 2050 and leave the net-zero gas emissions requirements of the 2050 target unchanged," it added.

"The time available to correct course is now short."

Government policies that exclude agriculture from emissions pricing, changes to clean vehicle rules, reducing reporting requirements for businesses and planning a liquefied natural gas import facility would raise emissions beyond any savings made elsewhere, the report warned.

Jo Hendy, chief executive of the Commission, said the findings were a "clear warning sign".

"Emissions are gradually falling but progress stalled in 2024, and current policy settings are not delivering at the pace needed," Hendy said.

"Government choices in the next 12-24 months will be critical to getting the country back on track."

In the past year New Zealand had introduced several policies the report said would reduce emissions.

But, it said, "these are likely to be outweighed by other actions that may increase emissions".

It also cited Wellington's decision to close the dedicated Ministry for the Environment as a risk.

The ministry will be folded into a new department for cities, environment, regions and transport.

Wellington was taken to court this year over its climate policies, with Lawyers for Climate Action and the Environmental Law Initiative arguing it was not doing enough to meet targets.

The result of that case is expected in the coming months.