The senseless repeal of the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration will leave Aotearoa New Zealand trapped in a fossil-fuel era and burying its head in the sand about the reality we live in, says WWF-New Zealand.

The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is expected to have its third reading in Parliament today, as the Government sets out to reverse New Zealand’s once world-leading ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration.

WWF-New Zealand’s CEO, Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, says New Zealand’s Coalition Government has been captured by the fossil fuel industry in pursuing a policy that makes no economic or environmental sense.

“The Government’s decision to wholeheartedly embrace fossil fuels is nothing short of deranged. At a time when fossil fuels are being phased out globally, no responsible lender is going to underwrite exploration of new offshore oil and gas reserves. This means the taxpayer is going to have to foot the bill for propping up this dying industry, despite there being a host of other, better options available for meeting New Zealand’s energy security needs.

“Communities across Aotearoa are facing yet another bout of severe weather this week, and climate-related disasters are becoming all too frequent – yet Ministers still see fit to push through this egregious legislation.

“All the science is clear that to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change and limit global warming to 1.5C, we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. The Coalition Government is simply turning a blind eye to the science – and to the reality we live in.”

Dr Kingdon-Bebb says the repeal has significant repercussions for Aotearoa New Zealand’s international reputation.

“In doggedly pursuing this partisan ideology, our leaders are turning Aotearoa into an international pariah. Pacific leaders have repeatedly pleaded with the Government not to restart offshore oil and gas exploration, and the Government’s own legal advice warned that repealing the ban will likely breach our Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and United Kingdom.

“Just last week, the International Court of Justice warned that governments who fail to curb fossil fuel production and consumption risk breaching international law – a stark message that this Government is wilfully choosing to ignore.

“We are yet again dangerously off track and putting our international reputation in the shredder – not to mention jeopardising the very survival of Pacific countries on the front-line of the climate crisis.

“The New Zealand Government could be driving investment in renewable energy and incentivising household solar and insulation schemes to keep New Zealanders’ homes healthy and warm. These are things that will actually make a significant positive difference to Kiwis’ lives. Instead, they’re trapping us in a fossil fuel era and showing us they don’t care at all about our future.”

© Scoop Media