LCANZI Newsletter - November 2023
Kia ora koutou,
We hope this email finds you well, please see below an update from the last month including an update on our appeal of the Climate Change Commission Judicial Review and our regular Executive Director update.
Climate Change Commission JR appeal tomorrow
On Tuesday 21 November at 10am, LCANZI will be in the Court of Appeal. We are appealing last year’s High Court judgment that dismissed our judicial review of the Climate Change Commission’s advice to the Minister for Climate Change. All documents filed by LCANZI will be on our website under the resources tab from 10.15am. If you wish to view the hearing remotely, please contact LCANZI Committee member Cassandra Kenworthy (c.kenworthy@bcomm.nz) for the electronic viewing protocol. A huge thank you to our counsel Jenny Cooper KC and James Every-Palmer KC, and Martin Smith and Rebecca D'Silva of Gilbert Walker for their work in bringing this appeal.
executive director update
I returned to Aotearoa earlier this month, and have hit the ground running. It’s great to finally be home, and I am enjoying meeting with as many people as I can - Board members, LCANZI members and supporters, other climate NGOs, and potential new partners.
I have been working with the Board to develop LCANZI’s first strategic plan. It communicates our ambition and focuses for the next three years, as we consider how to make the biggest impact in the fight against the climate crisis.
If you are interested in meeting with me and hearing more about our strategy, I am planning on holding a Zoom meeting for members. It will be an opportunity to provide input on the strategy, as well as an opportunity to ask me any questions and get to know me. If you are interested in attending, please register your interest at this link and provide an indication of your availability.
In the meantime, COP28 is about to start later this month. If you’re interested in a helpful summary of what to expect, as well as other key international negotiations going on, I found this Centre for International Environmental Law update really helpful:
LCANZI criticises Kaipara District Council's decision to cancel key climate policies
At a meeting on 27 September 2023, the Kaipara District Council made a decision requesting that the Chief Executive cancel the Kaipara District Council’s emission account contract and stop development of Kaipara’s climate policy.
The Chair of LCANZI’s Local Government Subcommittee, Dr Grant Hewison, has written to the Kaipara District Council and presented at the Public Forum at the Kaipara District Council’s meeting on 25 October 2023, outlining some issues we have with the decision.
We think there are issues with the way in which the decision was made. We are concerned that the decision is significantly inconsistent with the Kaipara District Council’s Long Term Plan and Annual Plan 2023/2024, both of which emphasised climate change as key priorities and challenges. The decision was also made without the required community consultation.
Since sending the letter, the Chief Executive has responded to LCANZI and advised that the Council is now taking legal advice. The Council is meeting later this month and we will keep you posted on what happens next.
You can read our full article here. You can read the full letter here.
Measuring methane emissions: LCANZI responds to farming groups
LCANZI has written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers, and the Climate Change Commission, about the Climate Change Commission's review of New Zealand's methane targets.
The farming groups have used a scientific study that they commissioned from Oxford and Cranfield universities to argue that the 2050 targets are too high, we have concerns with this research.
We think that any attempt to amend New Zealand's methane targets in this way would likely be inconsistent with s 5T of the Climate Change Response Act 2002. In addition, the proposed "warming approach" would be inconsistent with IPCC global pathways that assume significant reductions in warming from methane. It would also be inconsistent with several of our international commitments.
It is important that New Zealand continues striving to meet its international commitments, and does not attempt to water them down through creative accounting.
Committee member profiles
We have added our Executive Director and Committee member profiles to our website. If you want to put a face to the name and learn more about our Committee members check it out!
Ngā mihi maioha for your support and we will update you again soon.
LCANZI Committee