New Zealand election 2026: Climate policy compared

Policy snapshot as at 16 October 2026 · New Zealand-wide

The biggest difference between the parties is how quickly they want to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, how much they want to invest in preparing for extreme weather, and who should pay for protecting homes, infrastructure and communities.

The 2026 general election is on 7 November. The policy divide is fairly clear: the Greens favour the strongest climate action and more equitable public funding for adaptation; Labour wants to strengthen existing climate policies; National emphasises practical resilience and economic affordability; and ACT and New Zealand First place greater weight on limiting the economic costs of climate policy. The main parties vying to form New Zealand's next governmentRelease: Labour to accelerate climate actionACT New ZealandOur enduring approach to a changing climate2026 Election Q&A - Science

1. At a glance

Party	Emissions reduction	Climate adaptation	Who pays for disaster protection?
Green Party	Strongest push for rapid cuts and tighter pollution limits	Proactive, long-term investment	Fairer national funding; protect highly exposed and lower-income communities
Labour Party	Strengthen the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and honour Paris targets	Restore investment in resilience infrastructure	Greater central-government investment proposed; details still matter
National Party	Retain net zero by 2050, with emphasis on affordability and economic growth	National framework, hazard information and targeted planning	Cost-sharing rules still need to be settled
ACT New Zealand	Repeal the Zero Carbon Act and net-zero target; reduce carbon-policy costs	Less emphasis on a large national adaptation funding programme in the policies reviewed	No comparable, fully specified national cost-sharing offer identified
New Zealand First	Prioritise technology and practical measures; oppose some carbon-pricing obligations	Regional flood protection, water storage and infrastructure upgrades	Specific regional funding commitments, including a proposed $100 million annual infrastructure fund
Te Pāti Māori	Among the strongest environmental platforms	Strong environmental and community-centred approach	Exact national disaster-protection funding arrangements need closer examination
The Opportunities Party (TOP)	Strengthen the ETS, including agricultural emissions	Better-resourced adaptation and nature-based solutions	Use carbon-market revenue as one funding source, alongside other funding

This is a comparison of policy direction, not a guarantee of what a coalition government would deliver. Greenpeace's 2026 environmental scorecard ranks the Greens and Te Pāti Māori highest overall, Opportunity next, Labour in the middle, and National, ACT and New Zealand First lowest. That assessment covers five environmental areas, not climate adaptation alone. Greenpeace 2026 General Election ScorecardACT New ZealandACT New Zealand2026 Election Q&A - ScienceOur enduring approach to a changing climate

2. Emissions reduction: how ambitious are the parties?

Greens — fastest transition

The Greens propose stronger emissions limits, reduced reliance on carbon offsets, a tighter ETS and a faster phase-out of fossil fuels. Their approach puts more responsibility on large polluters and supports electrifying the economy. Manifesto 20262026 Election Q&A - Science

Labour — strengthen the existing system

Labour has pledged an urgent ETS review, a credible price on emissions, less reliance on forestry offsets and continued commitment to the Paris Agreement. It also wants to prevent carbon incentives from encouraging whole-farm conversions to forestry. Release: Labour to accelerate climate action

National — emissions goals with affordability constraints

National retains the net-zero-by-2050 goal, but prioritises economic growth, energy security and avoiding unnecessary costs to households and businesses. Its approach is less interventionist than the Greens' or Labour's. Environment Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026Our enduring approach to a changing climate

ACT — reduce the cost of carbon policy

ACT wants to repeal the Zero Carbon Act and the net-zero-by-2050 target, lower carbon-pricing costs and tie New Zealand's emissions cap to the efforts of major trading partners. It argues that climate policy should not disadvantage local industry and farming. ACT New ZealandACT New Zealand

New Zealand First — technology and practical incentives

NZ First supports farm-level emissions reporting, research into lower-methane livestock and native-tree planting. It opposes emissions pricing for producers unless major trading partners have equivalent measures and has proposed leaving the Paris Agreement. 2026 Election Q&A - Science

Te Pāti Māori and TOP — stronger environmental action

Both feature among the more environmentally ambitious parties in Greenpeace's assessment. TOP specifically proposes strengthening the ETS to include agricultural emissions, excluding new exotic forestry from its proposed approach, and rewarding carbon storage in soils, wetlands and other biodiversity-rich landscapes. Greenpeace 2026 General Election Scorecard2026 Election Q&A - Science

What does this mean in practice?

The main disagreement is not whether New Zealand should have cleaner technology. It is how much government should require emissions cuts, how quickly those cuts should happen, and how the costs should be distributed.

• If your priority is rapid domestic emissions reductions, the Greens offer the clearest ambitious programme, with Labour also proposing stronger action.
• If your priority is meeting climate goals while minimising disruption to households, farmers and businesses, National offers a more cost-conscious approach.
• If your priority is reducing mandatory carbon costs and aligning climate commitments with trading partners, ACT is the clearest advocate of that position.

These are comparisons of the parties' stated policies, not independent forecasts of the emissions each would actually deliver.

3. Climate adaptation: who wants to protect New Zealand from disasters?

Emissions reduction and adaptation solve different problems. Cutting emissions limits future warming; adaptation reduces harm from flooding, coastal erosion, drought, storms and other hazards that New Zealand is already experiencing.

Greens — plan ahead and share the burden fairly

The Greens want a national adaptation framework with credible funding, proactive planning before disasters and genuine partnership with Māori. They argue that communities already most exposed to climate risks should not bear a disproportionate share of the costs. Much delayed climate adaptation bill needs much more work2026 Election Q&A - Science

Labour — a larger national resilience investment

Labour points to the $6 billion national resilience fund it established after Cyclone Gabrielle, intended to improve roads, bridges and flood protection. It says the current government removed that funding. This is a past funding commitment Labour says it wants to build on; it should not be read as a new $6 billion election pledge. 2026 Election Q&A - Science

National — establish rules, identify risks and plan for high-risk areas

National's National Adaptation Framework sets out measures covering risk information, responsibilities, investment in risk reduction and cost-sharing. A national flood map is planned, with its first iteration expected by 2027. However, the precise arrangements for sharing the costs of adaptation remain unresolved. Our enduring approach to a changing climate2026 Progress report: National adaptation plan :: Climate Change Commission

New Zealand First — regional infrastructure

NZ First proposes a $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund for projects including water storage and flood protection, as well as catchment-level management and a $100 million-per-year Infrastructure Equalisation Fund to help councils upgrade water, wastewater and stormwater networks. These are proposed funding commitments, not proof that every project will be funded or completed. 2026 Election Q&A - Science

ACT, Te Pāti Māori and TOP — different emphasis

ACT's main climate-policy focus is reducing the cost of emissions regulation. Te Pāti Māori has a strong environmental platform, while TOP advocates better-resourced adaptation and nature-based measures. The sources reviewed do not establish a directly comparable, fully costed national disaster-protection programme for all three. ACT New ZealandGreenpeace 2026 General Election Scorecard2026 Election Q&A - Science

4. The key question: who actually pays?

This is arguably the most important unresolved issue for households, property owners and councils.

The Climate Change Commission's 2026 progress report says New Zealand is still not adapting fast enough. It identifies inconsistent post-disaster support, gaps in infrastructure resilience and increasing insurance costs. It also says decisions have not yet been made about how local adaptation planning and action will be paid for. 2026 Progress report: National adaptation plan :: Climate Change Commission2026 Progress report: National adaptation plan :: Climate Change Commission

The competing approaches have different implications:

Funding approach	Potential benefit	Main concern
Central-government investment	Shares major costs across the country and can support poorer regions	Requires public revenue and clear investment priorities
Council rates and local levies	Can fund locally targeted flood defences and infrastructure	Costs may fall heavily on residents in high-risk areas
Property-owner contributions	Connects some costs to individual property risks	Can make protection or relocation unaffordable for some households
Insurance and post-disaster assistance	Provides financial support after damage	Insurance may become unaffordable or unavailable in high-risk locations
Prevention and nature-based protection	Can reduce future damage and provide environmental benefits	Requires upfront investment and does not eliminate all risks

These are general funding mechanisms, not a claim that every party has adopted each one. The Commission specifically identifies the need for clearer cost-sharing arrangements between central and local government and other infrastructure owners. 2026 Progress report: National adaptation plan :: Climate Change Commission

The critical distinction: a party can promise better flood protection without fully explaining how it will be funded, which communities qualify, or how much property owners will contribute.

When comparing manifestos, look for three things: a defined funding source, a clear division of responsibility between central government and councils, and provisions for people who cannot afford higher rates, insurance or property-protection costs.

5. Which parties best match different priorities?

If you prioritise cutting emissions quickly

The Greens, followed by Labour, are the clearest choices among the parties reviewed for stronger emissions-reduction policies. TOP also supports a stronger ETS, including agricultural emissions.

If you prioritise protection from floods and extreme weather

Compare the Greens' fair-funding framework, Labour's proposed return to major resilience investment, and NZ First's specified regional infrastructure funds. National has established a framework but has yet to settle all the funding questions.

If you prioritise keeping household and business costs down

ACT most explicitly seeks to reduce the costs imposed by carbon pricing. National also emphasises affordability, while Labour and the Greens argue that early climate action and investment can reduce longer-term costs.

If you prioritise fair treatment of people in high-risk areas

The Greens make the clearest explicit commitment in the material reviewed to sharing adaptation costs fairly and protecting highly exposed communities. For every party, check the details on relocation, insurance affordability and support for households that cannot pay.

Sources to compare before voting

• Policy.nz — 2026 election policies: compare individual party positions on emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
• Climate Change Commission — 2026 adaptation progress report: independent assessment of the country's preparedness and funding gaps.
• Climate Change Commission — 2026 emissions report: progress towards emissions budgets and the 2050 target.
• Science Media Centre — 2026 election climate Q&A: party responses on climate science, adaptation and emissions policy.
• Greenpeace — 2026 environmental scorecards: an advocacy organisation's comparative assessment of environmental policies.

My overall assessment: the Greens offer the strongest combination of emissions ambition and an explicit commitment to fair adaptation funding. Labour offers a more incremental alternative with a stated focus on restoring resilience investment. National has a framework for planning and managing risks, but the financing arrangements remain an important gap. NZ First has specific regional infrastructure proposals, while ACT prioritises reducing the costs of climate regulation.

For disaster protection in particular, no party should be judged solely on the size of a headline fund: the decisive question is whether its policies provide reliable, long-term funding and spell out who ultimately bears the costs.