Government Unveils Ambitious Environmental Policies Amid Growing Pressure

In a move to shore up its environmental credentials and respond to mounting criticism from climate scientists, Māori advocates, and community groups, the New Zealand Government today unveiled a package of policies aimed at strengthening environmental management, emissions regulation, and resource use oversight.

The announcements attempt to strike a balance between economic development and ecological protection — but critics say they still fall short of what is needed to meet the climate crisis head-on.

Among the prominent elements of the government’s environmental policy announcement are:

1. Tightening the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
   The government will reduce the availability of emissions credits from 2025 to 2029 – cutting from 45 million units down to 21 million – in an effort to restore integrity and market confidence in the ETS.

2. Restriction on Farm‑to‑Forest Conversions within ETS
   Legislation passed under the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversions) Amendment Act will come into effect on 31 October 2025. It limits how much productive farmland can be converted to exotic forestry for emissions offsetting benefits.

3. Resource Management System Reform
   Work continues toward replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) with two new Acts – one focused on the natural environment (freshwater, biodiversity, coastal) and the other on planning and development. 
   Under the new framework, national direction instruments will be simplified, thresholds for consents will be refined, and more certainty in rules is promised.

4. Stronger Oversight Over Environmental Impacts
   The announcements suggest clearer legislative bases for establishing environmental limits, narrowing the kinds of effects councils can regulate, and strengthening national consistency in environmental protections.

5. Funding and Strategy for Waste, Plastic Management, and Regulatory Appointments
   The Environment Minister announced new appointments to the Waste Advisory Board and unveiled a refreshed strategy to regulate waste, especially plastics on farms, while engaging with rural communities.

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