Greenpeace is welcoming today’s sweeping fiscal stimulus package, and hopes the next announcement in May will take things a step further, by using the opportunity to embed New Zealand's response to climate change and protect the country from future shocks.

Greenpeace Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, says today’s announcement - one of the largest fiscal responses to Covid in the world - is significant, and provides essential and rapid support to those who are most vulnerable.

"For the next budget announcement in May, we will presumably see more details around transformational investment in technology, business and industry, which will be the next step in protecting New Zealand’s economy from future shocks," he says.

"One thing the Government might want to consider when it’s allocating this next round of money is to make sure that we come out of this stronger than we went in, especially around the other threats we face, like climate change and biodiversity loss."

Greenpeace has put forward a proposal to green the fiscal stimulus package, and is asking New Zealanders to contribute to its development.

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