Election asks: Climate change
We asked political parties about tackling the threat of climate change.
These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page.
How will you…
Accelerate the shift to a carbon neutral public service?
Ensure a just transition for all workers with access to training, lifelong learning, and support?
The results are in
Here's what the parties have to say
| Question | Greens | Labour | National |
| Accelerate the shift to a carbon neutral public service? |
We are proud of the efforts made so far to decarbonise the public sector, including the removal of coal boilers from schools and hospitals. More Greens in Government will pick up the speed and scale of climate action, including by fully transitioning the public sector vehicle fleet to electric. |
The Carbon Neutral Government Programme was set up to accelerate the reduction of emissions within the public sector. The programme’s aim is to make organisations within the public sector carbon neutral from 2025. The immediate priorities are to phase out coal[1]fired boilers, with a focus on removing the largest and most active by the end of 2025. We’re also focused on optimising the size of agencies’ car fleets and purchasing electric vehicles. Labour is on track to remove all coal boilers from hospitals and public schools by 2025, with the wider public sector following soon after. The Carbon Neutral Government Programme will continue to be supported by the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund to invest in low[1]emissions heating, cooling, electric vehicles and energy efficient lighting. |
National supports New Zealand’s 2030 emissions targets and the 2050 target for New Zealand to be net Zero. We have already announced policies in our largest emitting sectors, agriculture, and energy. Much of the public sector’s emissions come from energy, keeping the lights on for public services, or fueling government-operated cars. Our policy Electrify NZ will supercharge renewable energy production, meaning our energy and transport sectors will be fueled by wind and solar, not Indonesian coal. |
| Ensure a just transition for all workers with access to training, lifelong learning, and support? |
The Green Party will build an inclusive low-carbon Aotearoa that works for everyone. Our climate plan will create thousands of well-paid, meaningful jobs, and provide training opportunities and decent, secure work for people moving out of carbon-intensive industries. We will: Ensure an equitable transition grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Māori working in emissions intensive areas Reform Ōtakaro to operate as a Ministry of Green Works Ensure that workers and unions have a strong voice in transition plans Develop measures to support workers who are made redundant due to industry changes to retrain and match skills development with available jobs |
We are developing an Equitable Transitions Strategy to make sure that our transition to a low emissions future is fair and inclusive. We know that transitioning towards a low emissions economy represents an opportunity for New Zealand. We need to maintain and strengthen our green credentials if the New Zealand economy is going to prosper. As such, we are focused on creating new industries and employment, transitioning workers and skills, and long-term planning. A well-planned transition will reduce energy costs for businesses and homes, increase energy independence, and create high-wage jobs. |
We want to reduce emissions in the cheapest way possible – in a way that still allows people to live their lives, drive their cars and put food on the table for the families. There is no doubt that climate change will impact the types of work in some industries – that is why having a strong tertiary training sector is so important. National will support our tertiary sector to grow and provide world-class training for the future. |