Government launches ‘Carbon Removals Framework’ and climate law reforms, expanding costly carbon schemes despite uncertain climate benefits.
‘Climate Change’ Minister Simon Watts has announced a new Assessment Framework for Carbon Removals alongside reforms to New Zealand’s climate change legislation, aiming to make the system simpler and to expand carbon reduction efforts beyond forestry.
The framework, a key action from the Government’s second ‘Emissions Reduction Plan’, is designed to recognise and reward non-forestry carbon removals such as wetland creation and peatland restoration. It will help landholders, businesses, and project developers assess whether their projects meet the environmental and scientific standards needed to access carbon markets. Watts said the framework supports “credible, nature-based climate action” that grows the economy, adding that the Government will continue work on biodiversity credits to encourage wetland development.
The Government is also proposing amendments to the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA) to make New Zealand’s ‘climate change’ system more efficient and reduce unnecessary compliance costs. Key changes include removing duplicate consultation requirements, simplifying emissions reduction planning, and shifting the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) settings review from an annual to a biennial process. The reforms will also expand opportunities for new forms of carbon removals to be recognised in the ETS and give businesses more certainty to invest in decarbonisation projects.
Watts said the changes would reduce costs for government and industry while maintaining New Zealand’s overall ‘climate goals’.
A bill to amend the CCRA will be introduced next year. The Government has also moved the target for the Carbon Neutral Government Programme from 2025 to 2050, aligning it with the national net zero emissions goal. Watts said the original target was too soon to achieve meaningful reductions, and the new deadline provides a more realistic path toward ‘carbon neutrality’.
Image credit: Tobias Tullius
Still having this scam policy, can’t believe…not voting you again…
This scheme looks to me like an effort to commoditise nature, so that governments can regulate and restrict the people, while the wealthy can live as they please, using “carbon credits” only they can afford. In 2006 Al Gore gave the climate crisis scam a big boost with his movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Notably, NONE of Gore’s dire predictions have even approached coming true, but Gore himself has made hundreds of millions of dollars.off the “climate emergency,” including trading “carbon credits.” Recently two eminent scientists, Richard Lindzen and William Happer, went on the Joe Rogan show and thoroughly debunked the whole idea that we are in any kind of climate crisis. I recommend finding and watching that interview.
Farms need to be stopped being converted to forestry
Climate change has been going on for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years and is not intrinsically linked to man
So you can change the climate by gaming a financial investment system set up by the government? Is Simon Watts a ****ing idiot???
Yes he is.
This has Humpty Dumpty’s stamp of approval all over it. Luxon’s short tenure will be remembered as a full blown Climate Alarmist.
More than that, a globalist empty suit.
Ffs, 15 minute cities anyone, are we going down to same failed road as the UK, building expensive carbon absorbing infrastructure, we don’t need to do anything trees are everywhere, deliberately destroying the economy, well done national, just following orders from your overlords
Bought and paid off, just like Jabby
Watts is correctly spelt Twats
“Bill Gates mocked after the mega-billionaire’s humiliating backflip on climate change”
https://waikanaewatch.org/2025/11/05/bill-gates-mocked-after-the-billionaires-humiliating-backflip-on-climate-change/#:~:text=Go-,Bill%20Gates%20mocked%20after%20the%20mega%2Dbillionaire%E2%80%99s%20humiliating%20backflip%20on%20climate%20change,-05%20Wednesday%20Nov
Good link..
Looking after and for the environment is all good. Imposing a ridiculous trading scheme is just BS.
Any party that campaigns on removing this retardation should be rewarded
The only thing that needs “net zeroing” are our governments.
Gotta carry on the money laundering scam, even though killy gates has acknowlegded its BS..
This scheme is nothing but a scam.
A tax scam.
Former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr threatens legal action against one of his fiercest critics, Michael Reddell
https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/10/23/rb-still-defending-a-series-of-costly-mistakes/#comments
Low watt-age doesn’t have a clue……
Didn’t they get the memo?
IT WAS A HOAX!
Paris agreement is a farce. Get out of it now . Hipkins said if he gets in again he will pay Paris 1 BILLION
So planting trees and plants to reduce carbon emissions? Its called nature, it has always happened. More CO2 more and bigger plants … duh. Methane is also natural, it breaks down over years to form CO2 and H2O. Bill Gates Bovier is killing cows in Denmark btw, look it up.