Government irresponsibly delivering a climate crisis

On the same day that MPs were waxing lyrical about the Carbon Zero Bill the Government released it Minerals Strategy which continues to allow exploration for coal, oil and gas. This is happening despite the PM describing climate change as our “nuclear free moment.”

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment strategy, “Responsibly Delivering Value,” was released on Wednesday the 6th after a short and very understated time for public “consultation.”

For a strategy largely about mining and drilling for fossil fuels it contains alot of photos of windmills.

It’s great that the government has stopped handing out deep sea drilling permits. But, it’s terrible that they’re continuing to allow oil and gas drilling on shore. We are in a climate crisis and all exploration for fossil fuels needs to end.

The Government has been duped by the fossil fuel industry into thinking that gas is a “transition fuel.” The only thing continued drilling for gas will transition us to is a climate emergency.

The Government also talks about being ‘responsible’ which is farcical when their own report says that mines could still be operating in forty years time. This means that oil drilling and coal mining could still be happening in 2060, ten years after the country is supposed to have reached Carbon Zero.

The Ministry openly says that oil, gas and coal extraction could be continuing in forty years time, well after the 2050 Carbon Zero goal.

Currently the oil company OMV is still permitted to drill for oil in the Great South Basin, despite a large amount of local opposition to the plans.

If you want to read the painful resource strategy you can find this here.

The Minister Megan Woods can be emailed at megan.woods@parliament.govt.nz