Source: Greenpeace
Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Russel Norman says, “We have just seen Donald Trump embarrass himself at the United Nations by claiming that climate change is not real, while the world watched with a mixture of ridicule and horror. With this decision on oil and gas exploration, Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon have signed up to Trump’s Climate Stupidity Club.
“Well I’ve got news for Shane Jones: climate change is real, paracetamol does not cause autism, fossil fuels need to be phased out, and renewables are much cheaper than fossil fuels. Jones might worship Trump’s inane ramblings but New Zealand needs to base its energy policy on reality, not MAGA dogma.
“In the midst of a wave of deindustrialisation, resulting from a failure to develop a proper energy strategy, the Government is playing Trumpian culture wars by blowing the horn of fossil fuels that will never solve our energy challenges.
“Fossil fuels are a climate disaster, and require massive taxpayer-funded subsidies. The Government spent $300 million cleaning up the Tui oil field, and has offered up another $200 million for gas exploration.
“Its time to bring back the Gas Transition Plan and the NZ Battery Project that Luxon abandoned in 2023,” says Norman. “It’s time to dump Trans Tasman Resources’ seabed mining project, which has seen two international offshore wind generation companies leave New Zealand. It’s time to embrace a rapid rollout of solar, storage and energy efficiency.
“To bring back oil exploration now is like trying to bring back the fax machine. Fossil fuels are outdated, expensive, and are driving climate chaos. The Government should be building clean, affordable renewable energy, not dragging us backwards.”
“Gas is already the most expensive form of electricity generation,” says Norman. “This is a giant leap backwards that will cost households and the climate dearly.”
“Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon can try to lure Big Oil back – but people power kicked every single international oil giant exploring for new oil and gas out before, and we will do it again. We will defend nature.”
More than thirty thousand people have signed a Greenpeace open letter pledging to resist the oil and gas industry should they return to explore for new oil and gas in New Zealand.
