New Zealand's environmental credentials on the line as coalition takes power

The National party had solid, if vague, policies to tackle pollution and fight the climate crisis, but coalition talks have seen those pledges unwoundThe idea of protecting the natural world and keeping it in good health is something New Zealanders generally agree on.Both of the country's major parties, Labour and National, have passed significant environmental protection legislation while in power. National presided over the creation of the world's first marine reserve in 1975, and in 2014, created the world's first law conferring legal personhood to a landscape. Labour banned nuclear arms in 1987 and offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018. In 2019, it created the Zero Carbon Act, enshrining in law the country's commitment to carbon neurality by 2050. Continue reading...