The Far North iwi leader who said he would take the government to court over inaction on climate change has filed court papers this afternoon.
Climate change iwi leaders group chair Mike Smith Photo: NZ Herald / File
Climate change iwi leaders group chair Mike Smith, from Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Kuri, announced his plans for take the case against the government on Tuesday, at the release of the Interim Climate Change Committee report.
He filed papers to the High Court in Wellington this afternoon.
Mr Smith is seeking a declaration from the Crown that it will half greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade and eliminate them by 2050.
It is the second time the government has been taken to court over its climate targets after Waikato law student Sarah Thomson challenged the National government in 2015, although she lost her case two years later.
That was partly because after the change of government, a new 2050 target was expected to be set and court-ordered relief "is therefore unnecessary".
Mr Smith was confident his case would succeed.