New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has warned that the country is increasingly at risk of missing its emissions budgets and long-term climate targets, as current policies are not reducing emissions fast enough (Climate Change Commission report, 22/07/2026).
According to the Commission’s latest monitoring report, although GHG emissions declined since 2019, progress stalled in 2024, partly due to increased coal-fired power generation during a dry year. The report estimates that the pace of decarbonisation will need to more than double to meet New Zealand’s 2026-2030 and 2031-2035 emissions budgets, as well as its 2050 net-zero target.
The Commission also identified rising risks in the electricity, transport and agricultural sectors, citing the removal of agricultural emissions pricing and uncertainty surrounding the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
The report recommends additional measures to be taken within the next two years, including stronger support for methane-reduction technologies, greater electrification of transport and industry, and policies to accelerate the uptake of low-emission technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps.
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