Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
“We are once again seeing the Government rush through legislation without adequate oversight and the opportunity for us all to have a say. The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill has just been introduced under urgency. This change is constitutionally significant, yet people have been given a very small window to share their views. This is not what happens in a healthy, thriving, representative democracy.”
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand’s Movement Building and Advocacy Director, Lisa Wood said in a statement today.
Woods says the Conservation Amendment Bill and the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Bills should be stopped.
“When the people we elect to govern limit communities being heard on the things that impact us, when the powerful decide in situations of such significance like this that they don’t need the transparency, accountability and participation we should expect, they erode the foundations of a stable society. These Bills risk people losing trust in our government and institutions to listen or to do the best for us.
“Good decision making comes from a foundation based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi that provides a place for us all to belong, one that includes a diversity of perspectives. We need decision makers to actively maintain this foundation to build a stable home for all of us.
“However, this is not what we’re seeing. The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill would bar people from taking climate-related tort claims to court, cutting off an important avenue for access to justice. The Conservation Bill risks weakening protections for public conservation land, and both Bills threaten to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of tangata whenua.
“New Zealanders must seriously question what path this is all leading us down. We strongly encourage people to have a say on these Bills and take a stand for the kind of society we want.”
Submissions on the following Bills are due 13 July 2026.
- Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill (the Bill). This Bill amends the Climate Change Response Act 2002 creating a bar on the ability of people to bring claims against greenhouse gas emitters for climate-related harm.
- Conservation Amendment Bill proposes significant changes to how public conservation land is managed.
Read the submissions made by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand here: