Carbon News
  • Members
    • Login
      Forgot Password?
    • Not a member? Subscribe
    • Forgot Password
      Back to Login
    • Not a member? Subscribe
  • Home
  • New Zealand
    • Politics
    • Energy
    • Agriculture
    • Carbon emissions
    • Transport
    • Forestry
    • Business
  • Markets
    • Analysis
    • NZ carbon price
  • International
    • Australia
    • United States
    • China
    • Europe
    • United Kingdom
    • Canada
    • Asia
    • Pacific
    • Antarctic/Arctic
    • Africa
    • South America
    • United Nations
  • News Direct
    • Media releases
    • Climate calendar
  • About Carbon News
    • Contact us
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Service
    • Policies

Greenpeace's new fuel crisis scorecard: Coalition flunks, Labour offers few commitments

19 May 2026

Greenpeace Aotearoa
Image: Greenpeace Aotearoa

Media release | As fuel prices remain high and the Budget looms closer, Greenpeace Aotearoa has released a scorecard ranking political parties on practical solutions to cut dependence on imported fossil fuels and shield households from oil and gas price shocks.

Parties were asked nine yes-or-no questions about whether they back concrete measures including cancelling the proposed LNG import terminal, financing rooftop solar, shifting freight from roads onto rail, making public transport free, and restoring EV incentives.


The scorecard revealed starkly different policy responses to the fuel crisis. ACT scored 0 points out of 18, National scored just 1 and NZ First scored 2. Labour sat firmly in the middle scoring a 9, while Te Pāti Māori scored 18, and the Greens and Opportunity scored 16.


"We put parties to test to see who has a plan to take decisive and concrete action to cut energy costs and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels," says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop.


"National, ACT, and NZ First flunked the test, with plans to burn more money on mega-roads, and an LNG import terminal. Their abysmal ranking doesn’t bode well for the upcoming Budget.


"Te Pāti Māori, the Greens, and TOP ranked highly, after giving clear commitments to policies that would deliver homegrown renewables as the cheapest, most secure energy option, alongside electrified public transport and rail.


"Labour sat in the middle of the ranking. While they often supported the intent of the policy in question, they rarely gave a clear unconditional commitment to actually delivering it," says Toop.


One of the most striking findings was that all the current governing parties continue to back the proposed LNG import terminal, despite the soaring imported gas prices and widespread warnings against it from a range of experts including the OECD.


‘"Kiwis are already being hit hard at the pump, the supermarket and on their power bills because of expensive, imported fossil fuels. Those same fuels are driving the climate crisis, and supercharging the storms damaging our communities and environment.


"Building an LNG terminal in the middle of a global gas crisis is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.


"Instead of wasting billions on an LNG terminal, the Government should be supporting rooftop solar to reduce household bills, cut climate pollution, and stop further obscene profits flowing to the trillion dollar oil and gas industry at the public’s expense," says Toop.


Greenpeace points to Australia as an example of effective Government policy on solar. Supported by $11 billion in government incentives, one in three Australian households now has rooftop solar. The New Zealand Government offers no financial support for household solar and only one in every 35 Kiwi homes have it.


"There are proven solutions to the fuel and climate crises already being rolled out around the world, like rooftop solar and free public transport. Our scorecard shows which political parties plan to ramp up those solutions here and which are choosing to double down on fossil fuels."


National and NZ First were the only two parties that chose not to participate in the scorecard. Their scores were assessed using their public policies and voting records.


Greenpeace has published the scorecard on its website, along with its scoring methodology.


Greenpeace is an independent environmental campaigning organisation and does not take any money from political parties or corporations. It provides independent analysis of political party policies and actions, but does not endorse any political party or tell people how to vote.

print this story


Related Topics:   Fossil fuels Politics

More >
Media releases
More >

Public conservation land maps show risk of sale

Thu 18 Jun 2026

Media release | Forest & Bird has today released new maps highlighting public conservation land across Aotearoa New Zealand that could be more exposed to development or sale.

Coromandel protections could be stripped away for mining through hidden law change

Wed 17 Jun 2026

Media release| Forest & Bird is warning that a hidden provision in the Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill could strip away long-standing protections and open up parts of the Coromandel Peninsula to mining.

ANZ confronted with petition and video screening after report exposes fossil fuel ties

Mon 15 Jun 2026

Media release: 350 Aotearoa | A petition signed by over 3000 New Zealanders was handed over to ANZ, calling on the bank to cut banking services to coal expansion companies. The petition comes as the annual ‘Banking on Climate Chaos’ report has confirmed that ANZ continues to back fossil fuel expansion.

Communities need to prepare for increased landslide risk

12 Jun 2026

Media release: Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury | New UC-led research shows where future Cyclone Gabrielle-like storms could cause more landslides and how communities can reduce the risk.

NZ’s largest rooftop solar switched on at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

11 Jun 2026

Media release | Sunergise, New Zealand’s leading commercial solar company, has switched on the country’s largest-ever rooftop solar installation at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s East Tāmaki campus in Auckland.

Antarctic surface melt set to increase dramatically this century, new study finds

10 Jun 2026

Media release – Victoria University | New research shows surface melting across Antarctica is set to intensify and spread dramatically over the 21st century, with melt increasing by 10 times and the area affected growing by more than 10 percent by 2100 if global temperatures continue to rise.

Professor Dan Tompkins started his new role as director of Ngā Ara Whetū on 2 June.

The environment needs fixes now, says new director

5 Jun 2026

Media release: Auckland University | Innovative solutions to environmental problems are urgently needed, because our wellbeing depends on it, says Professor Dan Tompkins, the new director of the Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, Ngā Ara Whetū, at the University of Auckland.

Entries open for 2026 Sustainable Business Awards

2 Jun 2026

Media release -  Sustainable Business Network | Entries are now open for the 2026 Sustainable Business Awards, New Zealand’s pre-eminent sustainability awards. Now in their 24th year, the Awards celebrate outstanding innovation and leadership in sustainability.

NZAS co-president Troy Baisden

Science losing the long game

29 May 2026

Media release: New Zealand Association of Scientists  | Budget 2026 pushes the science system into a quiet purgatory, with zero announcements from the Minister’s office since 1 April.

New Plymouth residents say “no to LNG”

29 May 2026

Media release: Climate Justice Taranaki | At a public meeting in New Plymouth this Tuesday attended by about 100 local residents, the vast majority signed an ‘Urgent Plea’ to stop the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas import facility, addressed to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Energy Minister Simeon Brown, and Cabinet Ministers.

Carbon News

Subscriptions, Advertising & General

[email protected]

Editorial

[email protected]

We welcome comments, news tips and suggestions - please also use this address to submit all media releases for News Direct).

Useful Links
Home About Carbon News Contact us Advertising Subscribe Service Policies
New Zealand
Politics Energy Agriculture Carbon emissions Transport Forestry Business
International
Australia United States China Europe United Kingdom Canada Asia Pacific Antarctic/Arctic Africa South America United Nations
Home
Markets
Analysis NZ carbon price
News Direct
Media releases Climate calendar

© 2008-2026 Carbon News. All Rights Reserved. • Your IP Address: 2600:1f28:365:80b0:d94b:8ae3:562:83f6 • User account: Sign In

Please wait...
Audit log: