NZ Greens Launch Petition to Stop Government’s Plan to Overturn Oil, Gas Ban

Green Party Leader James Shaw speaks to media in Auckland, New Zealand, on Sept. 23, 2017. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

The New Zealand Green Party has started a petition to urge the new right-of-centre government to stop reversing the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration.

This comes after the three-party coalition government unveiled a plan to revoke the ban introduced by the former Labour government in 2018 to accelerate New Zealand’s transition to “a carbon-neutral future” in 30 years.

While the coalition has not provided specific details about the repeal, it believes the new policy could reduce New Zealand’s reliance on imported coal while ensuring gas can be used as a transition fuel as the country progresses toward net zero in 2050.

Greens Say Allowing Oil and Gas Exploration Is Unscientific

Following the announcement, the Greens expressed strong opposition to the central government’s plan to allow energy companies to apply for mining and exploration permits again, saying it was “unscientific.”

“The new government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. We need to come together to stop them,” Green party co-leader James Shaw said in a statement.

“If anyone needed a basic rule of thumb for dealing with the climate crisis, it would be this: stop burning fossil fuels.

“Burning fossil fuels drives the temperature of the planet ever higher, which increases the frequency and severity of the storms, floods, fires and droughts which are causing so much damage to our homes and communities.”

At the same time, the co-leader stated that it made no sense to repeal the ban as “fossil fuels are not our future.”

Mr. Shaw also believed that the country’s energy needs could be met totally with renewable sources.

“The idea that New Zealand’s wind and solar need gas to underpin energy security is a myth being spread by the fossil fuel industry itself,” he said.

“New Zealand’s focus should be on phasing out fossil fuels and getting to 100 percent renewable energy as soon as possible. That’s where the smart money is.”

Mr. Shaw also warned that his party would re-introduce the ban as soon as the new parliament assembled.

The Greens currently have 15 of 122 seats in the new federal parliament.

So far, the petition has garnered nearly 8,000 signatures.

Oil and Gas Industry Welcomes New Policy

Meanwhile, the government’s announcement was well received by Energy Resources Aotearoa (ERA), a peak industry body representing oil and gas producers.

In an interview with Radio New Zealand, ERA CEO John Carnegie said it was necessary to reverse the ban as the country was at risk of energy shortages.

Shell's Brent Delta Topside offshore oil drilling rig platform is towed by tug boats along the coastline of Hartlepool in England, on May 2, 2017. Scott Heppell/AFP via Getty Images

“We have an energy system on the edge of freefall. We’ve got risk factors stacking up,” he said.

“We’ve got rising energy prices. And we’ve got inadequate investment in backup generation for when there’s no wind and rain.

“In this context, removing the ban is an unequivocally positive thing because it will encourage more gas, and more gas means a more diverse, affordable, and reliable energy system.”

In addition, the CEO refuted Mr. Shaw’s argument that renewable energy was the only solution to the “climate crisis,” saying gas can play an important role in helping New Zealand achieve its climate targets.

“I think it’s a common misconception to think that we use gas and can’t meet our targets. This is not true,” he said.

Mr. Carnegie said the oil and gas industry supported the net zero transition but he noted that the country needed to be “realistic and pragmatic” in approaching that target with renewables.

“We think that we need more renewable electricity and sources of energy, but I’m sorry, they simply can’t deliver secure, reliable and affordable electricity,” he said.

“They’re either not commercial at scale, or they’re incapable of filling the energy gaps when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.”