Climate Change minister Simon Watts. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
New documents show the government is considering removing its goal of carbon neutrality across the public sector by 2025.
Released to the Green Party under the Official Information Act (OIA), the advice to Climate Change minister Simon Watts was redacted, but the file name was left on the PDF: "[REDACTED] BRF-3950 Briefing Note - Removing the 2025 neutrality goal of the Carbon Neutral Government Programme and reviewing programme setting".
It showed the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP), established to reduce public sector emissions with an aim to make a number of government agencies carbon neutral by 2025, had seen "significant reductions".
The programme, set up by the Labour government in 2020, required participating government and Crown agencies to measure and report on their emissions annually, and set targets to reduce them, in line with the international goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
It asked any remaining emissions to be offset from the year 2025.
The documents contained advice from the Ministry for the Environment, and showed as of last financial year, there had been a 14 percent reduction in emissions across 84 organisations, toward a total 2025 reduction target of 20 percent.
"Significant progress has also been achieved in coal boiler replacement, energy efficiency in office buildings, and air travel reductions," it read.
However, at its time of writing in July, "the 2025 date is not considered feasible and needs to be reviewed".
Watts confirmed in a statement he had requested advice on how the programme aligned with his government's climate strategy, but no decisions had yet been made, with advice from a number of agencies due back in October.
"This advice will inform if the programme should continue as is or if decisions are needed by Cabinet on future options for the programme."
Green Party spokesperson Francisco Hernandez said the government was looking for any excuse to put a pause on any climate action.
"We're asking minister Watts to rule out adding further fuel to the fire by scrapping the CNGP."
He said the progress made because of the programme so far was reason enough for it to keep going.
"We also know that it's led to cost savings for various agencies, in terms of flights avoided, and electricity that they're now getting for free because of renewables, and we need to keep the focus on.
"If the government is serious about actually making sure that we're transitioning to a livable climate future, and achieving savings reductions in a way that helps both people and planet, they should rule out scrapping the Carbon Neutral Government Programme and invest more in it."
By the numbers: As of December 2023:
- there had been an overall emissions reduction of 14 percent from agency baselines, with the ultimate 2025 goal of 20 percent
- 23 out of 24 coal boilers undergoing replacement were on track to be removed by the end of 2025
- 120 of 149 coal boilers in schools had been replaced
- 19 percent of the government's light vehicle fleet had transitioned to battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles
- energy efficiency ratings have been completed in 59 percent of government office buildings over 2000m²
- air travel emissions had been reduced by 38 percent compared to agency baselines, resulting in "significant cost savings".