Time to escape the volatile fossil fuel trap: Green Party

Petrol prices haven’t been this high since the 1980s, highlighting the need to free ourselves from fossil fuel reliance, Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw said today.

“Prices have always been volatile and this Government is investing in clean alternatives like electric vehicles, public transport infrastructure, cycling and walkways to free New Zealanders from fossil fuel reliance.

“That’s why this Government is investing a record $4.2 billion in the next three years to improve public transport, commuter rail, and walking and cycling. We’re also investigating incentives for more fuel-efficient vehicles to be sold in New Zealand.

“Societies globally are moving away from fossil fuels because of the damage they do to the climate. This shift will also benefit people by freeing them from the volatile price changes caused by the behaviour of big oil and gas companies, unpredictable oil production, and oil’s vulnerability to economic shocks and global conflicts.

“The Government is looking to diversify how New Zealanders get around in a sustainable, clean and green way. It’s time we broke free of the volatile fossil fuel trap.

“The Green Party has long called for these policies to support New Zealand’s transition to a clean, green economy. We don’t want New Zealanders stung at the pump and we don’t want to continue with fossil fuels that are hurting our planet. It’s critically important to shift away from fossil fuel dependence”.

The graph below is based on data from MBIE’s Energy in New Zealand. It shows the real, sales-weighted average of regular and premium petrol prices over the decades. All fuel prices are adjusted to December 2017 prices.

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