LCANZI has written to the Prime Minister and the Budget Ministers' Group seeking assurances that the impact of greenhouse gas emissions will be a core part of its assessment of future stimulus spending - including the 'shovel ready' projects under consideration.

Kathryn Ryan speaks to Jenny Cooper QC regarding New Zealand’s legal obligation to factor climate change into any post-Covid recovery projects. You can listen to the interview here.

The Government has a legal obligation to use COVID-19 recovery funds to help New Zealand transition to a low-emissions and climate-resilient economy, according to lawyers’ group, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc.

The group has written to the Prime Minister and the Budget Ministers’ Group seeking assurances that the Government will make the impact on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change resilience a core part of its assessment of all post-COVID-19 stimulus spending, including the “shovel ready projects” currently being assessed.

The group says this is not only sound policy, but is required of the Government as a matter of law.

OPINION: When we exit from level 4 lockdown, a tremendous fiscal stimulus package will be required to revive the economy. All in all, tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars will be spent keeping businesses afloat and jobs open so that we can return to a semblance of normality as quickly as possible.

Join us and millions of other people. Switch off your lights in support of nature and our planet on Saturday, 28 March, 2020 at 8:30pm.

LCANZI Committee member and submission co-author, James Every-Palmer QC, says that while the group supports the broad direction of the proposals, it is concerned that the proposed emissions budget is too generous and the proposed price parameters are too low.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. (LCANZI) says that the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is inadequate to achieve the reductions in emissions that are needed for New Zealand to meet its international obligations and to do its part to avoid catastrophic global warming.

On 3 February, LCANZI made submissions on the Resource Management Review Panel’s Issues and Options Paper specifically addressing proposed changes to the Resource Management Act 1991.

A group of lawyers are striving to win over climate change sceptics, who have previously brushed off young advocates pushing for radical action.

On 29 August 2019, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. filed a letter of complaint in relation to an article on Newshub by Peter Williams, “The science is never settled”. You can read LCANZI’s letter of complaint here.

The Government has released its plan to improve freshwater in New Zealand. This includes a draft National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, draft National Environmental Standards for Freshwater, Sources of Drinking Water and Wastewater, and proposed regulations in relation to stock exclusion and water metering.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. are holding a launch event, hosted by The Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change, in the Grand Hall, Parliament at 5.30pm on Monday 25 November 2019.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has submitted in support of clauses 22 and 23 of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has written to Ministers David Parker and James Shaw in support of the call by the New Zealand Climate Action Network for urgent amendments to the Resource Management Act and the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act.

The Environment Select Committee has released its report and recommendations on the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Bill. The report follows the public submissions period, during which Lawyers for Climate Action NZ made a written and oral submission on the Bill.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. today welcomed the New Zealand Government’s decision to endorse the recommendations of the Financial Stability Board Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (the TCFD) on establishing a framework for disclosure of climate-related risks in company financial reporting.  

On Monday 15 July 2019, we filed our submission on the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill.

We support the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill. It responds to the need for urgent action to reduce emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change. But we consider there are some aspects of the Bill that could be improved to strengthen New Zealand’s climate change response and provide greater clarity in the operation of the Bill.

Check out the July 2019 issue of Lawtalk to read Jenny Cooper QC’s article Climate crisis: the cold hard facts about all that “hot air”.

Jenny points out “the number one thing we should not do is despair. The situation is bad but not hopeless. Millions of people are working hard to make it better. The more of us who get on board to support them, the better the future will be”.

The inaugural AGM for Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. was held on 29 June 2019.

We elected the Committee. The Committee Members are as follows: Jenny Cooper QC (President), Carol Weaver (Secretary), James Every-Palmer QC (Treasurer), Duncan Ballinger, Sophie Gladwell, Bronwyn Carruthers and Stephen Mills QC.