National Party leader Simon Bridges explained why the National Party have changed their tune on the establishment of a Climate Change Commission, saying it was "the right thing" to do.
On TVNZ1's Q+A, Mr Bridges said National decided to give their support to the Commission as it was "about demonstrating some leadership, even from Opposition, and doing what we think is the right thing, and providing some certainty, frankly where there's not a lot of certainty at the moment".
Host Corin Dann asked if climate change was the nuclear free issue of Mr Bridges' generation.
"I wouldn't go that far," Mr Bridges said. "Is it the most significant environmental issue, is it an important long-term issue that we need to deal with, and deal with seriously and provide certainty on? Yes."
He said the National Party have agreed to an "enduring, bi-partisan, framework for climate change" in creating the independent climate commission, "that will provide advice to every Government over the next 30-40 years".
"That required us to step up and say 'yeah, we think this is important'."
Mr Bridges said the previous Government "did a fair bit" to tackle climate change.
"But really what we're saying, is we're stepping up on the framework."
He said the Government is currently consulting on three climate change targets, and the National Party will evaluate the situation based on science, economic and other influences.
"On agriculture, we are not saying today it should face additional costs," he said in terms of a Carbon Zero 2050 target. "I think there's some scientific questions about CO2 versus methane that needs to be addressed, there's effective ability to mitigate when we're already the most efficient producers in the world."
"We don't want to see real costs imposed on hardworking Kiwi households overnight, but what we will do, just like this Government as well, is we'll take the advice from the Climate Commission, we'll be accountable in terms of how we'll decide on that advice."
"It's a bit like oil and gas, why do it now when all you would do is send that producing offshore, but we may well sign up to it in the future."
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