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What’s good? These are some of the things we like about the Commission’s draft advice:

• The Commission’s advice that reducing emissions is affordable and achievable, and that the Government needs to take urgent action now.
• The clear recommendations for transport and energy including:
  • Urgently ending the use of coal for industry.
  • Phasing out the use of gas in industry.
  • Incentivising people to buy electric cars, by reducing their cost, and phasing out imports of new petrol and diesel cars.
  • Building more wind, solar, and geothermal electricity generators.
  • Electrifying rail for freight and passengers.
• Planting more native trees, and fewer pine trees.
• Working alongside tangata whenua and acknowledging rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga.
• Having a just transition, with support for low income households affected by the change, and retraining for people who current work in polluting industries.
• Focusing on reducing emissions within Aotearoa, not buying carbon credits from overseas.
• Taking specific, immediate actions to change to clean transport and energy options, not relying on the Emissions Trading Scheme to encourage businesses to change their technologies over time.
• Recognising that climate action has other benefits, like safer streets, warmer homes, and healthier people.
• Central Government working with local government and communities.
• Government doing more to consider the cost of climate change before investing in expensive large projects like motorways and buildings.
• The focus on changing systems so that low-emissions options are available and affordable for people, instead of making it all about individual choices.

What could be better? These are some areas where we encourage the Commission to take another look:

• A stronger focus on for people moving from private cars to public transport, walking, and cycling to reduce transport emissions. This needs to be backed up by investments to make clean transport options easier, more reliable, and more affordable. Let’s be ambitious about this!
• It’s good to see the Commission say that there are lots of clean energy technologies we could use right now, but they could also look at some of the very new technologies being used overseas that will be available in Aotearoa soon, like zero-emissions steel production to replace coal-based steel production.
• Rather than just focusing on recycling and keeping waste out of landfill, creating less waste in the first place.
• Faster action to reduce agricultural emissions, including more farms moving to regenerative and organic farming. The Government can support this by funding farmers to change the ways they farm, and using regulations to reduce things like industrial fertiliser use.
• Greater support for farmers who want to reduce stock numbers and move to growing crops.
• Stronger focus on natural solutions such as increasing urban trees, local conservation, and improving biodiversity in our cities.