New Zealanders are being urged to have their say on the proposed Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Bill with submissions now open and being considered by the Environment Committee.

The Zero Carbon Bill establishes a framework that New Zealand can use to develop clear, stable climate change policies in line with the Paris Agreement, a global effort to combat the effects of climate change. It aims to achieve this by limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. It also proposes setting greenhouse gas reduction targets into law and requiring that future governments continue these efforts.

“[W]e’ve got to move beyond the fine words, we’ve got to move beyond the fine sentiments. We must actually take action, and that is what this bill is,” Environment Committee chair Dr Deborah Russell said at the first reading of the bill.

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The Zero Carbon Bill passed its first reading on May 21. After being introduced in Parliament, Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said the near unanimous vote to pass the bill through its first reading signals strong bipartisan support for most aspects of the proposed legislation.

Submissions close on July 16.