Climate news and personal actions

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, January 4th, 2021 - 19 comments
Categories: climate change - Tags: , , , ,

The bad news (in six tweets),

From that last link,

Under the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015, virtually all the world’s nations pledged to limit global warming to “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels and also, if possible, “pursue” efforts to cap warming at 1.5C. At present, the world is not close to being on track to meet either target.

While the growth of global emissions has slowed in recent years, there is a large and growing gap between current commitments and what would be needed to avoid exceeding these global temperature limits.

Here, Carbon Brief provides an analysis of when the world is expected to pass these limits in the absence of large future emissions reductions. This is based on the latest generation of climate models – known as ”CMIP6” (see Carbon Brief’s explainer) – that are being run in the lead up to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sixth assessment report expected in 2021-22.

Our analysis shows that:

  • The world will likely exceed 1.5C between 2026 and 2042 in scenarios where emissions are not rapidly reduced, with a central estimate of between 2030 and 2032.
  • The 2C threshold will likely be exceeded between 2034 and 2052 in the highest emissions scenario, with a median year of 2043.
  • In a scenario of modest mitigation – where emissions remain close to current levels – the 2C threshold would be exceeded between 2038 and 2072, with a median of 2052.

Some good news (but we have to do something): ordinary people can learn how to make fast lifestyle changes of the kind needed for society to reduce GHG emissions now. The Guardian reports on the UK’s Citizens’ Assembly,

At the start of 2020, Sue Peachey could never have predicted how her life would change over the next 12 months. She was one of 108 people to take part in the UK’s first climate assembly earlier in the year, spending four weekends learning about a range of environmental issues before producing a final report of recommendations.

“The first weekend changed me really. I thought, ‘Oh my God, [climate change] is really going to happen,’ she said. “It made me want to learn and to live my life greener.”

Obviously there are problems with this – avoiding eating meat doesn’t change the agricultural industry which will just switch to destructive plant growing instead of CAFO meat. This highlights the limits of personal actions where collective action is the imperative (we need to switch conventional ag to regenerative ag). But personal action is still necessary. Governments can’t generally act against the wishes of their voters. In order for governments to lead on climate action we need a mass movement of citizens who will tolerate that action. Personal change matters.

In its Sixth Carbon Budget, published earlier this month, the government’s statutory advisers, the Climate Change Committee, said: “The experience of the UK climate assembly shows that if people understand what’s needed and why, if they have options and can be involved in the decision-making process, they will support the transition to net zero.”

This is most important for older generations, said Peachey, who would not have been taught about the climate crisis in school. For her, the experience has been more transformative than she ever anticipated.

“I’m 57, I probably thought this time last year my days of going to meetings and discussing and debating were over, and here we are a year later, I’ve done the climate assembly and I’m now on the parish council,” she said. “Who knows what’s next? But it’s definitely awakened me.”

If that seems entirely inadequate in the face of global crop failures within 30 years, bear in mind that what we need most now is systemic change. Not fiddling with neoliberalism, but wholesale, all hands to the pump, society wide systemic change. And that requires most of us, you and me included, to be willing to change how we live.

The better news is that the sooner we start this change the more chance we have of a change to something good. For those looking for proactive pathways, the Powerdown engenders hope, a sense of empowerment, and helps individuals and societies adapt to as well mitigate climate change.

19 comments on “Climate news and personal actions ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. RedLogix 1
    4 January 2021 at 9:15 am

    Governments can’t generally act against the wishes of their voters. In order for governments to lead on climate action we need a mass movement of citizens who will tolerate that action. Personal change matters.

    As I've demonstrated in my other series, the reason for that inexorably rising gap between what needs doing and what is happening is simple … increasing prosperity globally.

    The left needs to make up it's mind, does it stand for reducing poverty and improving standards of living everywhere, or is it asking people to give that up? Well for several decades now the resounding answer is people will not give away the chance of a better life.

    Insisting that they should is just 'doing the same thing over and hoping for a different result'.

    • Pat 1.1
      4 January 2021 at 9:36 am

      Thats because you unnecessarily equate 'prosperity' and 'poverty' with consumption.

      'Improved living standards' are not predicated on a consumer society as many life satisfaction studies show

      • RedLogix 1.1.1
        4 January 2021 at 9:48 am

        The idea you are referring to is an Environmental Kuznets Curve. May or may not be true.

        What is certain however is that below a threshold of about U$15k/GDP per capita there is a strong correlation between life satisfaction and income. Most of the developing world (roughly 90% of the global pop) fall into this category.

        Once above that threshold, as in the developed world, I agree the relationship is much weaker. Interestingly this may well have a lot to do with aging demographics as much as anything else.

        • Pat 1.1.1.1
          4 January 2021 at 10:08 am

          No I am not referring to the Kuznets curve…im refering to the gross stupidity and waste of the consumer society that you promote as equating to "improved standard of living"

          Some years ago I built boats and it never ceased to amaze us when after a year or three many of these vessels would come back for additions/modifications with less than 100 hours on the motors….WTF is the point, apart from ego?

          On the same basis we could all have Lear jets or Helicopters if the powers that be decided it would be good for employment…what a waste of resources to no useful purpose…that is your consumer society, not improved well being that Kuznet fails to measure with his GDP per capita BS

    • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2
      4 January 2021 at 2:02 pm

      "Insisting that they should [give away the chance of a better life] is just 'doing the same thing over and hoping for a different result'."

      Encouraging us to do better by spaceship Earth (and so ourselves) is such a lottery.

      In 2008, Helen Clark’s Labour-led Government, supported by the Green Party, triggered a tipping point through their sustainable development agenda. The measures they announced to improve energy efficiency and water conservation – which included banning incandescent light bulbs and regulating shower heads – led to complaints that they were interfering too much in people’s lives.

      The accusations that they had turned into a ‘nanny-state’ government became widespread and contributed to their election defeat.
      https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-opinion/tipping-points-changing-fortunes-parties-and-elections [4 Sept 2020]

      Carrots and sticks: Procrastination fix?
      Make no mistake: I’m all for paying people what they’re worth. And I’m opposed to schemes that compensate people the same regardless of their performance. But whether you’re at a bank in Bogota or a school in Schenectady, relying on “if-then” rewards to encourage great work is like guzzling six cups of coffee and downing three Snickers bars for lunch. It’ll give you a burst of energy – but the effects won’t last. For the long-term, human beings need a very different kind of nourishment.

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    4 January 2021 at 9:31 am

    Are there examples anywhere of groups of people making voluntary sacrifices to their standard of living in order to avert greater harm to themselves and people from other parts/groups?

    • weka 2.1
      4 January 2021 at 10:37 am

      good question. Plenty of individuals doing this. Transition Towns? What about during the world wars?

    • Phillip ure 2.2
      4 January 2021 at 6:18 pm

      not so much a 'sacrifice' as an improvement..

      but in part sharing those outcomes of improvement for all/the planet..

      vegans..

      • Robert Guyton 2.2.1
        4 January 2021 at 6:38 pm

        What do vegans give up for the betterment of all humans? (I get that they better the animal world and perhaps the lives of meat-workers are improved…)

        • Phillip ure 2.2.1.1
          4 January 2021 at 6:59 pm

          are you seriously asking that..?

          are you in some doubt as to the value of the vegan diet for the health of the planet..?.

          as opposed to the flesh- eating diet…and the environmental carnage wreaked by that..

          that smaller environmental footprint…for the 'betterment of all'..

          sheesh..!..you of all people..

          • Robert Guyton 2.2.1.1.1
            4 January 2021 at 7:23 pm

            No, I'm asking what do vegans give up, sacrifice against their desire, to make the world a better place? We'e talking about wanting people to give up doing stuff they like, sacrificing something, in order to help everyone else (animals included) through. So, what do vegans give up?

            • Phillip ure 2.2.1.1.1.1
              4 January 2021 at 7:52 pm

              many of them struggle to give up eating animals/cheese etc..

              and what have the smug 'green' flesh-eaters ever given up..?

              when they can't even stop hurting animals/eating flesh..

              what have they/you given up 'for the betterment of all'..?

              I'm picking you/they will be scratching to find anything..meaningful..

              in fact your question answers itself..

              with a big fat s.f.a…

              it really fucks me up how so many can ‘green’ for so long…and still being ok with hurting animals..and eating them..

              • The Al1en …
                4 January 2021 at 8:16 pm

                Out of respect to the author, I'm not sure this is the place to reply in, but you seem to have a large disconnect when it comes to greens who eat meat – The two aren't mutually exclusive.

                Eating local, organic and free range doesn't negate efforts to cut emissions, otherwise veges and vogons wouldn't partake in imported food with large carbon footprints.

                People sacrifice in many ways, from using led bulbs, switching off appliances and not leaving them on stand by, to installing double glazing, insulation and other heat loss methods in order to reduce energy consumption.

                Some people drive small engine cars with low fuel consumption instead of driving monster trucks and crossovers. Others recycle and re-purpose to make things go further, not forgetting those who make compost, save water and grow their own food with next to zero world pollutants.

                I don't believe you speak for the green movement because of your anti meat bent, any more than those right wingers who criticise green mps for getting on planes are for saving the planet.

                I get the agenda, just don't understand how you have the front to keep repeating nonsense, ignorant of compelling arguments against it.

                • Phillip ure …
                  4 January 2021 at 9:28 pm

                  I answered a question asked by robert..

                  I do not wish to engage with you on any level…about anything..

                  at any time..

                  mmkay..?

                  • The Al1en …
                    4 January 2021 at 9:43 pm

                    “Once you've decided that something's absolutely true, you've closed your mind on it, and a closed mind doesn't go anywhere. Question everything. That's what education's all about.”

                    David Eddings

  3. Stuart Munro 3
    4 January 2021 at 11:08 am

    Tiny housing is an obvious transition possibility. They can greatly reduce the individual's space and resource footprint – looking at one myself.

    Effectual leadership or action seems to be too much to ask of government as usual.

    Nascent industries like our laggard aquaculture sector are poised to find out things the hard way about the effect of temperature on oxygen saturation and ammonia toxicity in shallow water salmonid cage farms. You just can't tell some people.

    • weka 3.1
      4 January 2021 at 12:43 pm

      Tourism likewise apparently can't be told.

      Tiny homes are a great Just Transition tool. Make them accessible for the people that do well with them, frees up other housing for the people that need more space. Reuse materials from housing demolition. Lots of wins here. The building industry still needs a bloody good shake up though.

  4. Drowsy M. Kram 4
    4 January 2021 at 1:12 pm

    "And that requires most of us, you and me included, to be willing to change how we live."

    Great post, and a salient observation. Most in the developed world are either OK with how they live now or are focussed on how they and theirs can 'get ahead', and won't willingly vote for changes that could compromise current or near-future lifestyles.

    Sarah Darwin, great-great granddaughter of the naturalist, said the current standard of living for many people is too high, adding that no politician wanted to admit this to the public.
    In response to threats facing the planet, such as climate change, she said people needed to use “our great brains” to find a sustainable way of living.

    Spending through the Paymark electronic card network at 2pm showed Kiwi consumers had already spent more than $166 million on Christmas Eve.
    Chief executive Maxine Elliott says shoppers also set a new record for transactions, which peaked today at 204 transactions per second, up from 188 previously.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123810086/celebratory-feel-to-orderly-robust-christmas-shopping-this-year

    Recycling we will do (as long as it's not too arduous), supporting renewable energy projects we will do (there's a biggish (for NZ) wind farm under construction near Palmy North), but taking actions that significantly decrease environmental degradation and consumption of materials and energy, e.g. switching to public or human-powered transport, and maybe buying fewer gadgets, we won't do that in significant numbers.

    While some democratic governments sold (rightly IMHO) compulsion as a means of keeping COVID in check, that's harder to sell as a way of minimising more serious but less ‘in your face‘ crises such as anthropogenic global warming. Incrementalism from both governments (rhetoric aside) and a largish (but probably not a majority) segment of the general public is likely the best we can hope for, i.e. a brief respite.

    COVID-19 taught us an essential lesson. For all its technological advances, humanity is not immune to the impacts of overusing natural ecosystems, damaging wildlife, and compromising the biosphere. We are not separate from nature – we cannot be healthy on an unhealthy planet. Neither are we separate from one another. We are one biology on one Earth.
    https://www.overshootday.org/

    Some suggest that civilisation's salvation lies in a magical dissolution of its dependence on the natural world and (presumably ultimately) on spaceship Earth itself. Others are leading, learning and teaching, but they're up against it.

    Unfortunately, humans have proved to be inefficient water users. (The average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce, and many water-intensive crops, such as cotton, are grown in arid regions.)

    According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. The challenge we now face as we head into the future is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have.
    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/

    "We need to learn how to work with nature rather than against it." Whatever form the post-collapse iteration of human civilisation takes, it will necessarily have fewer people and a lower average per capita energy/material consumption. Which of 'our' achievements, I wonder, will be admired and/or missed the most?

    According to the research Cappellin carried out for his film, the ingredients for societal collapse are already present in societies across the globe.

    “Whole countries will be deserted, and that won’t be the end of humanity.”

    Although advocates of this concept believe that society as we know it will collapse, they do not necessarily have a negative outlook on the world. Rather than continuing to live in a society that they know will not be around much longer, they often remove themselves from it in order to live a more sustainable life.

    Collapsology is about accepting the idea that collapse will happen and accepting what is being lost, all so that you can work on saving what can still be saved.
    http://thevoiceoflondon.co.uk/collapsology-is-this-the-end-of-civilisation-as-we-know-it/

  5. Grafton Gully 5
    4 January 2021 at 9:06 pm

    Personal actions and group action.

    "The first obligation of every citizen must be to productively work mentally or physically. The activity of individual may not clash with the interests of the whole, but must proceed within the framework of the whole for the benefit for the general good."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_Program

    I can't see this programme being implemented in NZ, so personal actions are required.

    Walk, plant, trash power tools, demolish fences, stop killing, open prisons.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T05:41:17+00:00