Hon James Shaw

Minister for Climate Change

24 June 2019 PĀNUI PĀPĀHO

MEDIA STATEMENT

The Minister for Climate Change has congratulated New Zealand’s Climate Leaders Coalition on its milestone in now having signed up 100 members.

“This is an incredible achievement considering the Coalition was born out of the vision of some 60 business leaders less than a year ago,” James Shaw said.

“These 100 Climate Leaders Coalition members, together with their suppliers, now represent more than a third of New Zealand’s private sector GDP.

“Together with the businesses which supply them, the Coalition is responsible for 60 per cent of New Zealand’s gross emissions.

“In total, businesses in the Coalition employ nearly 180,000 and, like most New Zealanders, they know that action to limit and adapt to the impacts of the changing climate will take commitment from all of us.

“I thank them for their commitment and their leadership. It helps demonstrate that action on climate change is not just a challenge but an opportunity to adopt new ways of doing business which can be both sustainable and profitable.

“The work of the Climate Leaders Coalition and so many other organisations, iwi, and individuals across New Zealand also helps support the Government’s work to put a climate change action plan in place built around the framework of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which is currently open for public submissions.

“100 Climate Leaders Coalition members signed-up in just under a year is a great milestone and a clear signal that New Zealand business cares about climate change.

“I want to acknowledge Coalition convenor and Z Energy Chief Executive, Mike Bennetts, and Abbie Reynolds, Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council, for driving this important work and helping New Zealand better face a future in which we can’t afford to ignore climate change,” James Shaw said.

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