The Minister for Climate Change has welcomed the High Court decision in Thomson v Attorney General, saying it is an important judicial contribution to the critical issue of how government should respond to climate change.
In 2015, Sarah Thomson, a Hamilton law student, filed a legal action challenging the New Zealand government’s allegedly inadequate response to climate change.
In its decision, the court acknowledged that the case had been overtaken by the election of the new government, and that it was for that new government to weigh the competing factors and reach a view about appropriate climate change targets.
“The case reflected the seriousness of the climate change concerns raised by Ms. Thomson and her supporters,” Minister James Shaw said. “The new government is committed to enacting the Zero Carbon Act, placing into law the target of becoming a carbon-neutral economy by the year 2050.”
Shaw said the new, politically independent Climate Commission will be tasked with setting out a pathway towards the 2050 goal – the subject of Thomson’s claim.
“The case highlights the strong feelings held by many Kiwis that governments must do more to ensure that New Zealand plays its part in the global fight against climate change,” he said.
“This new government is committed to doing exactly that.”
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