The first Green Party bill will return to the House today, for a debate on a select committee recommendation that it should proceed. Both Labour and National are supporting the bill.

Jeanette Fitzsimons, Co-Leader of the Greens, put her Energy Efficiency Bill up as a member's bill, one and a half years ago.

She said the importance of the bill was highlighted by its return to the House coinciding with a meeting of world scientists held in New Zealand this week to discuss climate change.

"The Science Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is expected to find that evidence for human induced climate change has increased since the second assessment and action is even more urgent."

"New Zealand has an appalling record of increasing greenhouse gas emissions," Ms Fitzsimons said. "Passing the bill would be the first concrete step that New Zealand had taken towards meeting its Kyoto protocol emission target, since the initial setting up of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority."

Ms Fitzsimons will speak on the Energy Efficiency Bill at its report back debate, expected around 4.20pm. There are two further stages to pass in the House before the bill becomes law.

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