New Zealand government sued over ‘inadequate’ plan to reduce emissions

CNN —

Climate lawyers are taking the New Zealand government to court, alleging its plan to reduce planet-heating pollution contains “glaring holes,” which will have “huge consequences for our country.”

Two groups, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and the Environmental Law Initiative, argue that the government’s plan to reach net zero before 2050 is “neither credible nor capable” of reducing emissions.

The groups, which represent about 300 lawyers, filed for judicial review in the Wellington High Court on Tuesday against New Zealand’s Minister for Climate Change, Simon Watts.

In the claim, they argue that, contrary to New Zealand law, the right-leaning government has slashed dozens of climate policies without consulting the public, and is relying on “high-risk” strategies such as tree pl