Government of New Zealand faces lawsuit due to insufficient and perilous emissions reduction strategy | New Zealand

Environmental attorneys in New Zealand have initiated legal action against the government, claiming its strategy to decrease emissions is insufficient and inadequate. The lawsuit, which represents over 300 legal professionals, is the first of its type and has implications for the global response to climate change. The groups, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and the Environmental Law Initiative, argue that the government has neglected to utilize key tools for emissions reduction and overrelied on forestry and risky, high-cost carbon capture methods. Jessika Palairet of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ warned that the government’s current plan could have disastrous effects on the country’s future. Following the 2019 passing of groundbreaking legislation that committed the nation to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and meeting its Paris Agreement obligations, New Zealand’s right-wing coalition government faces criticism for not meeting these immediate and future targets. The plan críticaized includes significant policy reversals and a reliance on forestry offsets, methods questioned for sustainability by experts. This may influence New Zealand’s environmental commitments and its capacity to combat critical global climate concerns.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/new-zealand-government-sued-over-dangerously-inadequate-emissions-reduction-plan-ntwnfb