We are challenging the ambition of NZ’s climate targets

James Every-Palmer KC, Jenny Cooper KC, and Martin Smith - the legal team acting for Lawyers for Climate Action outside the Court of Appeal (November 2023)

We are challenging the advice given by the Climate Change Commission to the Minister of Climate Change on the level of ambition in NZ’s emissions budgets and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

These are two critically important targets for New Zealand’s emissions, acting as sinking lids on available emissions into the future. Emissions budgets are five-yearly targets that act as stepping stones towards New Zealand meeting its long-term 2050 goal. And the NDC is our commitment under the Paris Agreement to achieve a 50% reduction of net emissions below our gross 2005 level by 2030.

We think that both targets are not ambitious enough, and that NZ isn’t playing its fair share in the global effort to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. At its heart, this case is about the fact New Zealand isn’t cutting its emissions fast enough - and the Commission’s advice was unlawful.

You can read all of our key documents below: