Climate action to be strengthened as Govt focusing to build resilience

"New Zealanders are already experiencing the impacts of climate change through more frequent floods, storms, and landslides," said Minister Watts.

As part of its efforts to fortify the nation against climate change, New Zealand's government, led by Climate Change Minister Simon Watts, is advancing initiatives to build economic and community resilience. Recognizing the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, the government has secured bipartisan support to initiate an inquiry into climate adaptation strategies.

Minister Watts announced that a Notice of Motion has been passed, directing the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct a comprehensive inquiry aimed at crafting a robust climate adaptation framework for the country. This initiative underscores the government's commitment to a long-term, sustainable approach to climate change, providing both individuals and businesses with the certainty needed to plan for the future.

"New Zealanders are already experiencing the impacts of climate change through more frequent floods, storms, and landslides," said Minister Watts. "It's imperative that we develop strategies to mitigate these effects and protect our communities, industries, and infrastructures."

The inquiry will focus on establishing guiding objectives and principles to inform the design of the adaptation framework. This framework will detail the government’s strategy for cost-sharing in preparing for climate impacts and will include information on planned investments like flood protection infrastructure. It aims to enhance community and business understanding of available support for recovery from climate-related events and improve risk management through better information dissemination.

"This framework will not only guide us in preparing for severe weather events but also streamline our response to them, ensuring we don't have to rebuild our strategies from scratch after each incident," Watts explained.

The motion has garnered widespread support from various political parties, highlighting a unified commitment to tackling climate change. The upcoming inquiry will build on the findings from approximately 150 public submissions previously made to the Environment Committee’s inquiry into climate adaptation.

Further public submissions will be sought as part of the new inquiry, which is likely to influence any necessary legislation expected to be introduced in early 2025.

This bipartisan effort reflects New Zealand's proactive stance on climate adaptation, focusing on long-term solutions and wide-ranging collaborations to safeguard the nation’s future against the inevitable impacts of a changing climate.