The National Government has shown all their talk about meeting climate targets is just hot air as they cut more than $3 billion in climate-related work, said Labour climate spokesperson Megan Woods.

“This Budget is a catastrophe for climate action, and is taking us backwards. What’s more it’s putting Kiwis, their jobs and their futures at risk.

“Cutting work towards meeting our climate targets and ensuring a resilient future just kicks the can down the road for the next generation to deal with.

“They’re leaving New Zealanders in the cold – literally – by whittling down the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme and their work to support warmer, dryer, more energy efficient homes for Kiwis.

“It’s irresponsible, shameful and shows how out of touch National and their coalition partners are about the climate emergency we find ourselves in.

“The National Government has talked a big game on renewable energy but there’s no new funding to support it.

“Ending the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and initiatives funded from it to date alone amounts to more than $3billion in cuts to climate work and nothing to replace it, taking us further from our climate targets and further from the decarbonised economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods.

“They’ve chosen to do this to pay for reckless tax cuts that won’t compensate households for the loss of free prescriptions, half price public transport or healthy school lunches.

“The Government must release the emissions implications of their wilful neglect of climate initiatives in this Budget,” said Megan Woods.

Cuts in climate-related funding include:

• Community Renewable Energy Fund
• Support for Energy Education in Communities programme
• Energy Emissions Reporting Scheme
• Just Transitions programme
• Equitable Transitions Package – regional hydrogen industry transition

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