More than 100 lawyers and climate researchers from across the globe are urging New Zealand to reconsider its decision to bar citizens from suing polluters for climate change.
In a letter delivered Tuesday to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, the signees argue that the move is contrary to New Zealand’s climate objectives and risks undermining the rule of law. They emphasize that the Pacific island nation is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“Removing a mechanism that could act to lower New Zealand’s emissions does not align with this ambition,” reads the letter, which was organized by New Zealand-based Lawyers for Climate Action. The proposal to ban climate lawsuits “would act to shield a small number of companies from liability at the expense of the public interest.”
Goldsmith announced last week that the country will revise its 2002 Climate Change Response Act to prevent courts from finding liability for climate change damage in both current and future proceedings. He argued civil claims against businesses for greenhouse gas emissions were “creating uncertainty in business confidence and investment” and that climate change is best managed by the government.
