New Zealand passes law blocking climate action against companies: ‘dark day for democracy’
New Zealand has passed hotly contested legislation to block lawsuits that seek to hold companies liable for climate change harm. The right-wing coalition government’s legal amendment cleared a final hurdle in parliament on Tuesday night by a margin of 67 votes to 53. The law aimed to prevent civil litigation overriding its climate policy and undermining business confidence, the government said.…
New Zealand's right-wing coalition government has passed legislation to prevent lawsuits against companies for their role in climate change, marking a "dark day for democracy," according to indigenous Maori climate activist Michael Smith. The opposition Green Party criticized the law, stating it was "intentionally against the public interest."
Smith's case against six prominent New Zealand companies, including dairy giant Fonterra, was dismissed by the government, citing their inability to fix the problem and the absence of viable solutions from the private sector. Justice minister Paul Goldsmith argued that ongoing litigation could undermine existing policies and create uncertainty for businesses, suggesting that climate change should be addressed at a national level rather than through individual lawsuits.
However, an independent climate advisory body warned that government policies could lead New Zealand to miss its emissions reduction targets and called for urgent action.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
