NZ’s Unambitious Emissions Reduction Plan: Why Bold Climate Action Matters

With 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record—and carbon dioxide levels now at 425 ppm—it’s easy to feel discouraged about NZ climate action. Yet building a 21st-century clean economy has never been more critical or full of opportunity. The latest New Zealand Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP2), alongside our updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), points to an underwhelming commitment from the Government. In this post, we explore why these targets are “shockingly unambitious,” how they limit our potential for growth, and what bold climate action could look like instead.

New Zealand’s Second Emissions Reduction Plan could be pushing harder

This August the New Zealand Government consulted on their proposed second Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP2), covering the period 2026 to 2030. This plan shows the thinking and approach of the new Government to New Zealand’s climate change challenge. It is excellent to note that emissions in Aotearoa have fallen for the past three years. While this is in part due to COVIDrelated effects, it also appears to represent the Zero Carbon Act and climate-related policies starting to move into implementation. Here are some of our reflections on the draft ERP2.