Jacinda Ardern says declaring climate emergency sends 'strong message' of Govt's priorities

November 30, 2020

The Prime Minister intends to put forward a motion to declare a climate emergency this week.

Declaring a climate emergency sends "a strong message" of the Government's priorities, Jacinda Ardern says.

The Prime Minister intents to put forward a motion to declare a climate emergency this week.

"In the same way that we often declare Civil Defence emergencies, we see the same urgency," Ardern told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning.

"I think it's worth acknowledging that, actually, if we don't make progress on climate change those things that you see us declaring Civil Defence emergencies around have the potential to increase."

Unlike a Civil Defence emergency, though, the climate motion won't bring with it extra powers.

"What it actually means for us is that it sends a very clear signal into the public sector around the priority that we place on climate action, mitigation and adaptation," Ardern said.

"It does send that strong message around where we place our priorities as a Government."

Ardern said the declaration was something the Government was called upon to do in the last term of Government but "it was just not something that we were able to get done".

She said the Government would continue work in the area from its last term, but added that climate action cannot be determined by one singular policy.

"It's what we do across transport, it's what we do across energy generation, it's what we do across agriculture. In each of those areas we've made significant commitments."

New Zealand will join several other jurisdictions with the climate emergency motion.

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