The Standard

climate change

Categories under climate change

More fishy than a bait shop

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 pm, May 27th, 2026 - 15 comments

Christopher Luxon has implied that a junior staffer met major polluters and received submissions urging him to sink Mike Smith’s bid to hold them to account which were then hidden. But it was his Chief Policy Advisor.

Doing their master’s bidding

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, May 25th, 2026 - 43 comments

Briefing papers from two of the corporates being sued by Mike Smith for damaging the environment urging the Government to change the law to stop the case were received but allegedly lost by Luxon’s office.

Constitutional outrage

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, May 12th, 2026 - 26 comments

The Government’s plans to retrospectively change the law to stop a case seeking damages for climate damage caused by heavy emitters is a constitutional outrage and shows not only contempt for the rule of law but also contempt for any action taken by a citizen against climate change.

Luxon is toast

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, April 21st, 2026 - 36 comments

Any time a political leader has to put their position to a vote, they become a dead pigeon. David Lange knew winning the vote didn’t end the matter.

Greens’ State Of The Planet Calls For National Electrification Plan

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, April 21st, 2026 - 28 comments

“The plan would electrify homes, transport and industry, ending New Zealand’s dependence on unpredictable global fossil fuel markets, cutting household power bills, and building real energy security at home.”

Without pluralism within the climate movement, we risk handing the future to the far right

Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, April 20th, 2026 - 22 comments

“As climate politics enters a critical phase, exclusion is a luxury we cannot afford. We need all hands on deck.”

What We Can Do

Written By: - Date published: 6:50 pm, March 20th, 2026 - 30 comments

In absence of a concrete leadership plan from this government to address the impending oil supply crisis, this post is for us to simply note down what actions we are taking ourselves. 

The oil crisis: “We live in challenging times”

Written By: - Date published: 4:33 pm, March 19th, 2026 - 46 comments

The government has shifted position and is now directly talking about the need to plan and prepare for a potential crisis and doing so for the worst case scenario.

The oil crisis – What would Jacinda do?

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, March 14th, 2026 - 43 comments

Jacinda Ardern led the country through some of the most taxing international crises imaginable. How would she deal with the potential oil shock caused by the Iranian war and how does this compare to Christopher Luxon’s response?

The oil crisis: she’ll be right?

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 am, March 13th, 2026 - 47 comments

“Every emergency plan principle that I’m aware of says you communicate early, honestly and with a plan.” – Nathan Surendran

Why can’t Government Ministers say “climate change”?

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, February 18th, 2026 - 14 comments

In the midst of multiple states of emergency caused by climate change induced rainfall Mark Mitchell and Christopher Luxon have reverted to Oil Industry talking points that what is happening is “just weather” and that “weather changes.”

A comparison between the LNG Terminal deal and the NZ Steel deal

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, February 16th, 2026 - 14 comments

A comparison of the LNG Terminal deal and the previous Government’s deal with NZ Steel to replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace clearly shows what this Government’s priorities are.

Think Big 2.0

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, February 12th, 2026 - 34 comments

The Government has responded to a perceived urgency caused by dry years to the country’s power supply by proposing something that is counter intuitive. Instead of rolling out solar it wants to burn imported Liquified Natural Gas. And use enabling legislation to avoid any overview of the proposal.

Is Shane Jones really to blame?

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, February 3rd, 2026 - 9 comments

NZ First is openly allegiant to commercial fishers, mining (fossil fuels) and tobacco companies, but is it really their fault?

Shane Jones loves fossil fuels

Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, February 2nd, 2026 - 9 comments

National has allowed Shane Jones to effectively veto the country signing up to a road map away from the use of fossil fuels supported by much of the world that was consistent with current policy settings.

What does Labour do about Winston?

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, February 1st, 2026 - 61 comments

Current polling suggests that we may witness something that has not happened before, a one term National Government. But this may mean Labour making a deal with Winston Peters. What should Labour do?

The Mount Maunganui disaster and climate responsibility

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, January 25th, 2026 - 22 comments

Bryce Edwards’ piece and key mainstream media articles on how the Maunganui disaster happened are the start of a long, complex conversation about New Zealand’s precarity and the urgent need to change.

The C Word

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, January 12th, 2026 - 6 comments

Mountain Tūī Opinion and Analysis on New Zealand’s “C” word

Advantage’s 2026 predictions

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, December 23rd, 2025 - 11 comments

Advantage gets out the crystal ball and postilated what may happen next year.

The Tunnels project and SH 1 to Wellington Airport

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, December 20th, 2025 - 13 comments

The plan ignores standard traffic planning practice, takes no account of predicted sea level rise and will be obsolete before the last stone is turned.

$270 a year more in energy costs for householders – Government pushes fossil fuel / agricultural corporate welfare

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, December 13th, 2025 - 5 comments

Under a series of science driven policy options, National / ACT and NZ First unanimously choose “catastrophic peril”. Anything for the fossil fuel and farmer industry, but at what cost, NZ?

Accelerating climate change under urgency

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, December 11th, 2025 - 7 comments

The Government is legislating to halve methane emission reduction targets and remove the requirement for the ETS to accord with Paris Accord obligations. And intends to pass these changes under urgency despite there being no requirement to do so.

Why the next election will not be easy for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, December 7th, 2025 - 27 comments

This may be a one term National Government. But electoral law reform, the state of Labour’s coalition partners, a possible economic upturn and a change in National’s leader threaten this.

The Government’s 59 policy changes that are destroying the country’s climate response

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 pm, December 5th, 2025 - 8 comments

Count them and weep.

Is National planning to welch on Paris Climate obligations?

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, December 4th, 2025 - 12 comments

It appears to be more and more inevitable that National will welch on the country’s Paris Accord obligations.

Why does National really hate EVs?

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, November 19th, 2025 - 14 comments

The Government has reversed the clean car standard and by doing this has ensured that the country’s car fleet will be less efficient and produce more greenhouse gasses.

Who’s winning the Climate Change Revolution?

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, November 17th, 2025 - 3 comments

The world’s largest economies are lowering or flatlining emissions at the same time as they are growing their economies. 

The Fast Track law is being made worse

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 pm, November 16th, 2025 - 8 comments

Just over a year ago the Government passed a constitutional abomination of a law and is now trying to make it worse and do this quickly. What is going on?

Wrecking the country’s climate change response

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, November 8th, 2025 - 18 comments

If you thought that your contempt for the current administration had peaked let me disappoint you. This week they have taken steps to undermine the Climate Change Commission and the ability of the public to influence future emission reduction plans.

Labour Day: the working class and civil emergencies

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, October 27th, 2025 - 17 comments

On this Labour Day, a massive shout out to all the workers in Southland, Otago and other areas affected by the storms last week. Paid and volunteer, obvious and those in the background doing support for the frontline workers.

More RONS!

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, October 25th, 2025 - 23 comments

National has announced it will be spending nearly three times as much on Roads of National Significance as it campaigned on and has justified dubious investment decisions by changing how benefits are calculated.