Breaking Wind New Zealand Quits Climate Club to Hug a Barrel of Oil
New Zealand Quits Climate Club to Hug a Barrel of Oil
In a move described by some as “heroic backsliding” and others as “suicidal idiocy wrapped in nationalism,” New Zealand has quietly slithered out the back door of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) a global coalition for governments not actively trying to cook the planet like a hangi.
Leading the charge was Resources Minister Shane Jones, New Zealand’s self-appointed Patron Saint of Petrochemical Nostalgia, supported by Prime Minister Christopher “Please Don’t Mention Paris” Luxon. Together, they delivered the bold new policy direction of “burn now, litigate later.”
Jones, clearly nostalgic for the glory days of gas flaring and sea-floor drilling, explained that the Government’s decision was driven by “sovereign risk”, a phrase which here means “we really like fossil fuels and don’t care who we disappoint.”
The move repeals the 2018 ban on offshore oil and gas exploration , a ban that once gave New Zealand the faint glimmer of being a responsible global citizen. That glimmer has now been extinguished, presumably by a blowtorch held by a Todd Energy intern.
From BOGA to Bogus
New Zealand had been an associate member of BOGA, not a full member, because full membership required ending onshore exploration too and that, according to Jones, would be “unthinkable,” a word usually reserved for things like abandoning a sausage roll mid-bite.
Instead of embracing the world’s shift toward clean energy, the Government has lunged backwards into a black tide of crude, claiming it must prioritise “economic resilience” and “energy security.” These terms, once noble, now appear to be code for “profits for oil majors and hope-for-the-best cleanup plans written on the back of a petrol receipt.”
The Legal Warnings They Definitely Read and Definitely Ignored
Before the repeal, the Government’s own legal experts (MFAT and Crown Law) helpfully raised giant, glowing red flags. These included -
Likely breach of Free Trade Agreements with the EU and UK (who may now slap tariffs on our wine and butter while muttering “climate backslider”).
Potential violations of the Paris Agreement, which New Zealand is technically still signed up to, albeit now with fingers crossed behind its back.
High risk of being sued by foreign nations, NGOs, or Greta Thunberg with a really good lawyer.
Taxpayers - The Real Oil Spill Clean-Up Crew
Just to add insult to injury, the new legislation weakens decommissioning rules. Once upon a time, oil companies were required to clean up their mess. Now, that responsibility will likely fall to the taxpayer, meaning your next hospital visit might be delayed because the Government is too busy paying to dismantle rusting oil rigs from 1992.
Estimates suggest liabilities could hit $2 billion. That’s right - the same government that cries poor when asked to fund school lunches is fine with underwriting deep-sea demolition for Shell and friends.
A Reputation Thawed
Greenpeace, WWF, and every science-literate ten-year-old have condemned the move. The Greens and Labour called it an embarrassing retreat that stains New Zealand’s environmental reputation, once delicately stitched from the fibres of the Clean Green myth and proudly paraded on the international stage.
That cape now lies in the mud, soiled with crude and resignation.
Government Press Release - "Powering Our Future, Our Way™"
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION TO LIKE-MINDED PETROSTATES
The Coalition Government today affirmed its commitment to robust strategic deregulation through the Controlled Environmental Regression Act (CERA). In alignment with our Sovereign Prosperity Framework and Resilience Through Resource Extraction Strategy (RTRES™), we are proactively repositioning Aotearoa New Zealand as a leader in autonomous climate engagement.
Minister Shane Jones, in collaboration with the Office of Tactical Trade Realignment (OTTR), emphasised that exiting BOGA ensures regulatory agility while facilitating sustainable exploitation modalities for hydrocarbon resilience.
“We’re not abandoning the environment,” said Jones. “We’re empowering it to adapt to us.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the enhanced sovereignty achieved by exiting multilateral eco-commitments, noting this will free up valuable diplomatic bandwidth and reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to realistic optimism.
The Government looks forward to ongoing conversations with partners who share our vision of innovation-driven emissions elasticity and outcome-neutral energy futures.
Letter to the Editor
From: CEO, Forest & Bird Aotearoa
Subject: We Asked for Climate Leadership. We Got Shane Jones in a Hard Hat.
To the Editor,
Forest & Bird has spent decades advocating for a future where Aotearoa protects its precious ecosystems. We’ve fought to ensure that our children inherit clean beaches, thriving wildlife and a stable climate.
Today, I watched that dream get handed a high-vis vest and shoved onto an oil rig.
The Government’s decision to repeal the offshore exploration ban and withdraw from BOGA is not only a betrayal of our Paris commitments, it is a betrayal of every New Zealander who wants a future that isn’t flooded, scorched, or sold to the highest bidder.
We are particularly alarmed by the rollback of decommissioning protections. This will saddle future generations with billions in cleanup costs while oil companies pack up and leave.
We call on every New Zealander to speak up. This isn’t energy policy, it’s environmental sabotage dressed up as economic prudence.
Yours in grief,
Nicola Toki
Chief Executive, Forest & Bird
Letter to the Editor
From: Wiremu Rangi, Taranaki
Subject: They’ll Take the Oil and Leave Us the Mess
Kia ora,
My whānau have lived near the Taranaki coast for generations. We’ve seen the rigs go up and the promises roll in - jobs, prosperity, resilience.
We also saw the leaks, the noise, the decline in kaimoana and the silence when it came to cleanup. We weren’t surprised when the Government scrapped the protections. We were just tired.
Now, they say it’s about “sovereignty.” But who’s sovereignty? Not mine. Not my mokopuna’s. Just the same companies who’ve always taken what they wanted and left us holding the bag.
Enough is enough. We need kaitiakitanga, not coalitions for pollution. Please, New Zealand - stand up before it’s all gone.
Ngā mihi,
Wiremu Rangi
Ōkato, Taranaki
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