'The next step is action' — Greenpeace pushes Govt following climate emergency declaration

The Government's declaration of a climate emergency in New Zealand is a win, but it shouldn't stop there, according to Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand.

During the 2017 election campaign, Jacinda Ardern called climate change her generation's "nuclear-free moment".

Two election wins and three years later, the Prime Minister declared a climate emergency in Parliament yesterday, along with a commitment that the Government and public sector will become "carbon-neutral" by 2025.

This morning, Greenpeace NZ executive director Russel Norman told TVNZ1's Breakfast the motion yesterday was a win, but more is needed.

"It's a statement from the Government that this is serious and it requires urgent action, so in that sense it's good, but obviously it's got to be followed up with action.

"If you say something's an emergency then obviously the next thing is, well, if it's so important what are you going to do about it?"

New Zealand joins dozens of other countries in having now declared an emergency.

"It's a win, yes, but clearly the next step is action, right? So the public sector stuff that they announced yesterday is good but it's very small in the big scheme of things, but it's definitely a good step in the right direction," Norman said.

He added, though, that work was needed in New Zealand's biggest industries that threat the environment — agriculture and transport.

"We need policies to get on top of those two areas.

"There's a bunch of steps we need to take."