Call for urgent amendments to RMA to enable effect on climate to be taken into account

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has written to Ministers David Parker and James Shaw in support of the call by the New Zealand Climate Action Network for urgent amendments to the Resource Management Act and the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act.

We have asked Ministers to repeal the sections of those Acts which prevent the contribution of an activity to climate change from being considered by local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency at consenting stage. Committee member, Bronwyn Carruthers, said: “With the clear intent of the Zero Carbon Bill it makes no sense for local authorities to still be hamstrung by these provisions when we need to all be working together to reduce emissions and minimise further warming”.

Read our letter to the Ministers here.