The absence of any offshore oil permits and just a single onshore permit in the just-announced 2016 Block Offer shows that the National Government\u2019s oil agenda is broken, says Greenpeace.<\/p>\n
Climate campaigner, Kate Simcock, says the Government\u2019s revelation that only a single onshore oil permit has been granted to a local company in the latest round of Block Offers indicates that the oil industry is in big trouble.<\/p>\n
Last year nine permits were granted, which at the time was also a dramatic drop on previous years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Government was waiting for a sign that the Block Offer programme needed to be ditched, this is it,\u201d Simock says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no interest from foreign companies, and oil majors are actually pulling out of permits. We\u2019ve seen zero economic benefit from offshore oil.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oil companies have recently been leaving New Zealand en masse.<\/p>\n
Less than a week ago, Texan oil giant Anadarko ditched two of its major permits in the Pegasus Basin.<\/p>\n
This came hot on the heels of Norwegian petroleum company, Statoil, announcing the withdrawal of 90% of its New Zealand assets.<\/p>\n
And their partial withdrawal came after the complete exit in previous years of two other drillers in New Zealand \u2013 Petrobras and ExxonMobil.<\/p>\n
Australian media has also reported that New Zealand\u2019s biggest oil company, Shell, is preparing to sell its entire portfolio here, which includes oil exploration and production assets.<\/p>\n
The Block Offer announcement comes just days after the anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, which saw New Zealand commit to reducing its emissions.<\/p>\n
Simock says new Prime Minister Bill English now needs to \u201cstep up to the plate\u201d and show some leadership on climate change.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Yesterday Greenpeace Executive Director, Russel Norman, appeared in a video letter challenging English to prove he wasn\u2019t \u201cTrumping\u201d: A reference to incoming American President and climate denier, Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
\n~@RusselNorman<\/a> asks NZ’s new Prime Minister @pmbillenglish<\/a> how Trump he is on #ClimateAction<\/a> #HowTrumpAreYou<\/a>? pic.twitter.com\/GH3WamMdEF<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Greenpeace NZ (@GreenpeaceNZ) December 14, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n