{"id":53709,"date":"2022-11-24T14:33:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T01:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=53709"},"modified":"2025-06-25T01:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:40:46","slug":"why-christopher-luxon-wrong-oil-exploration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/why-christopher-luxon-wrong-oil-exploration\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Christopher Luxon is so badly wrong about oil exploration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In his early days as leader, John Key updated<\/a> National\u2019s position on Nuclear-Free New Zealand and distanced himself from his predecessor\u2019s abhorrent \u201cOrewa Speech<\/a>\u201d, setting a new direction for the Party. Christopher Luxon now has a similar opportunity to shape the direction of the National Party by committing to act meaningfully on the pressing environmental challenges of our time, which are also issues that a majority of New Zealanders value and care about.<\/p>\n\n

Now more than ever, we need strong leadership to protect the oceans, native biodiversity, freshwater and the global climate.  <\/p>\n\n

The vast majority of New Zealanders are concerned about the climate crisis<\/a>, and their concerns are growing. The unprecedented ferocity of the monsoon rains in Pakistan<\/a> and flooding and extreme weather<\/a> we have witnessed recently across New Zealand bring the consequences of our destabilising climate closer to home. Support for political leadership to significantly reduce emissions continues to grow. <\/p>\n\n

\"Nelson
Nelson climate floods in August 2022
\u00a9 Paul Jennings \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Climate change is the existential issue of our generation. Future historians will mark the courage of leaders today by their willingness to do what needed to be done to ensure a liveable planet. The science of climate change is very clear – we need to significantly reduce gross emissions of all greenhouse gases. If humanity is to s\ucceed, every nation, however large or small, must play its part. <\/p>\n\n

Which brings us to the question of New Zealand\u2019s ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits<\/a>. It has long been understood that we cannot afford to burn most of the fossil fuels currently held in reserves, let alone search for more if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. Even the conservative International Energy Agency says that global oil and gas exploration should end immediately<\/a> if countries are to successfully reach net-zero by 2050 and keep planetary temperatures to 1.5C. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThere is no need for investment in new fossil fuel supply in our net zero pathway. Beyond projects already committed as of 2021, there are no new oil and gas fields approved for development in our pathway, and no new coal mines or mine extensions are required. The unwavering policy focus on climate change in the net zero pathway results in a sharp decline in  fossil fuel demand, meaning that the focus for oil and gas producers switches entirely to output \u2013 and emissions reductions \u2013 from the operation of existing assets.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

To National\u2019s credit, it has committed to this 1.5C goal by supporting the Zero Carbon Act<\/a>, even if the Zero Carbon Act commitment is purely aspirational and not binding<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

However, if Luxon as National leader was to reassert the commitment of his predecessors and carry through with his intention to bring back oil and gas exploration<\/a>, this would put the party in reverse by directly contradicting climate science and taking the world away from the possibility of staying under 1.5C of global heating.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSay no to new oil exploration\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sign the open letter to the oil industry – We will resist oil exploration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t \n Sign on\n <\/a>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\n

Oil and gas exploration in 2022 is tantamount to climate denial<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

It would also put Luxon\u2019s leadership in direct opposition to the New Zealand climate movement and the many hap\u016b and iwi and everyday New Zealanders from around the country who fought for seven long years to achieve the ban<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

\"A \u00a9 Malcolm Pullman \/ Greenpeace<\/div>” class=”wp-image-15776″\/>
A Greenpeace inflatable boat and a Wh\u0101nau-\u0101-Apanui fishing boat disrupt the seismic testing carried out by Brazilian oil giant Petrobras in Raukumara Basin, off East Cape, North Island.
\u00a9 Malcolm Pullman \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In affecting the end to new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, New Zealand became one of the first countries to lock away possible fossil fuels across a four million square kilometre area of the Earth’s crust – nearly our entire Exclusive Economic Zone. As a political action of global significance, the ban of oil exploration ships from our waters is comparable to our ban on nuclear ships, when the existential threat of nuclear war was the world’s primary concern.  <\/p>\n\n

On the other hand, to achieve success on climate change, we need a massive boost in renewable electricity generation. Bewilderingly, the current government has failed to support household solar, in spite of Transpower pointing to the need for significant distributed rooftop solar to decarbonise energy and enthusiasm from New Zealanders to generate their own power at home. As our Solarise New Zealand briefing paper outlines, there is a huge opportunity in solar, and New Zealanders are badly in need of a political leader who will finally realise this opportunity for homeowners and the climate.<\/p>\n\n

While we face a multitude of climate-related issues (did I hear a cow!), Christoper Luxon now has a clear choice between two paths here – to either be a leader who backtracked on climate action and fought to bring back oil and gas exploration, or one who supported solarising our nation. To assist in this choice, I’d like to dispel some myths and further outline the case against re-awakening oil and gas.<\/p>\n\n

Getting the facts straight on the offshore oil and gas exploration ban<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Groups such as the fossil fuel lobby group Energy Resources Aotearoa (previously called PEPANZ) have attempted to connect the last years\u2019 increase in coal used for power generation to the 2018 ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration. These claims do not have a basis in fact. Some key points:<\/p>\n\n