Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Around the world, climate lawsuits are reshaping environmental law. Experts in Auckland are examining what this means for New Zealand.

The effects of climate change, government responses and accountability are debated by politicians, protested in the streets, and increasingly, tested in court.

More than 3,000 climate litigation cases have been filed worldwide, and this month, climate law experts are at the University of Auckland to debate and discuss climate action in the courts at the 2026 Climate Litigation Conference: http://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/law/events/climate-in-the-courtroom.html

As climate impacts intensify, more people are asking judges to decide what governments and companies are legally required to do if they're involved in climate harm or have a role in addressing its impacts.

University of Auckland environmental law expert and conference co-organiser Associate Professor Vernon Rive says the field is evolving quickly.

He says: “We're looking at how overseas and international developments shape New Zealand climate law, the limits and possibilities of common law remedies like public nuisance, and how attribution science is being reflected in cases.

“This conference offers rare access to leaders in the field; judges, academics, scientists and legal practitioners, who have front-line expertise and deep knowledge in climate change litigation in New Zealand and internationally.”

Jessica Palairet, Executive Director of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, is chairing a panel on global trends in climate litigation. She says it's becoming one of the most important ways climate governance is being contested and shaped worldwide.

“We are living in an era of climate consequences, and climate litigation is one of the most interesting and important responses. These cases test complex legal questions about responsibilities and duties relating to climate mitigation and adaptation.”

Internationally, claims aimed at major emitters are accelerating. Professor Jacqueline Peel, Director of Melbourne Climate Futures at the University of Melbourne and a conference speaker, says a major trend is the increasing emphasis on corporate accountability.

“Increasingly, transnational claims are targeting companies for harms from high-emitting activities.”

New Zealand cases are also informing global debates about what climate harm looks like in law. Simon Ladd KC, Executive Director of the Legal Research Foundation – also co-hosting the conference – points to the landmark Smith v Fonterra lawsuit as an example of a case in which the role of the common law in climate litigation is front and centre.

The lawsuit saw iwi leader Mike Smith sue several private companies, including Fonterra. Smith alleges their greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global heating and harm him, his whānau, descendants, and others.
 
The case, due to proceed in the High Court in 2027, set an important precedent when the Supreme Court permitted the question of whether tort law can, and should, respond to climate change to proceed to trial. The Court also recognised the role that tikanga Māori may play in the development of tort law in New Zealand.

“The common law can develop and evolve, but should it?  If it should, where are the limits? Fundamentally, what is the role of private law claims in meeting the challenge of climate change?” asks Ladd.

Meanwhile, Auckland Law School Professor Caroline Foster is chairing a discussion on the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and its implications for New Zealand.

Foster is interested in how New Zealand legislators, courts, and decision-makers view due diligence requirements in international law.

“I'm also looking forward to discussions on the relevance of customary international law within the common law, and how the common law can protect New Zealanders' interests in a stable planet.”

The 2026 Climate Litigation Conference is co-hosted by the University of Auckland's New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law, Legal Research Foundation and Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand.

Returning to her spiritual home of Tokelau was a profound experience for Petty Officer Christina Sola, who visited the island while on deployment with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) during the recent Operation Calypso in the South West Pacific.

New Zealand-born, but of Tokelauan, Samoan and New Zealand European descent, Petty Officer Sola reconnected with whānau when HMNZS Canterbury arrived in Tokelau.

Incorporated in the operation was the celebration of the centenary of New Zealand’s administration of Tokelau and on board the ship for the occasion was New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.

“To step ashore alongside my shipmates, and on this occasion in the presence of the Governor‑General Dame Cindy Kiro, was an immense honour and a moment of profound personal and cultural significance,” Petty Officer Sola said.

“Tokelau is my tūrangawaewae – a place where I feel grounded spiritually, mentally and physically. It is sacred and treasured land, richly woven with history, culture and tradition. Each time I arrive, it instantly feels like home.”

Petty Officer Sola’s Tokelauan family hails from Fakaofo atoll. Her husband Penehe, also of Tokelauan descent, comes from the atolls of Nukunonu and Atafu. They have four children and she credits her husband’s unwavering support for being able to continue doing the job she loves in the Navy.

The communications warfare specialist enlisted in 2008 and has worked across a wide range of operational and leadership roles supporting New Zealand’s defence and security efforts, both at home and around the world.

She last visited Tokelau in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Petty Officer Sola said the situation was entirely different then and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

“Canterbury was tasked to deliver routine cyclone season support and essential supplies. This included new freshwater tanks, solar equipment, generator maintenance, and most importantly, Covid-19 vaccination supplies.

“Tokelau had no recorded cases of Covid-19 at the time and there was a very real possibility that, if we were not careful, we could have been the ones to introduce the virus to a population of fewer than 1,500 people.

“I was incredibly grateful that our deployable teams completed the mission without any incident and I was still able to see my family, while not touching one another to keep the strict two-metre distancing policy in place.”

This recent arrival was very different from the last, with loved ones from both her own and her husband’s family welcoming her across the three Tokelauan atolls.

“These are moments I will cherish forever. I will always acknowledge the sacrifices they have made – and continue to make – so that our families around the world can pursue opportunities and lives abroad, including those of us living and serving in Aotearoa, New Zealand.”

Petty Officer Sola’s career has seen her sail from the sub-Antarctic to the Pacific, across to Asia and over to the United States.

As part of the Navy’s extensive operation to the South-West Pacific and alongside the Tokelau centenary visit, HMNZS Canterbury crew facilitated an upgrade of critical tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment on Raoul Island, and conducted a successful search and rescue operation near Tonga.  

With New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel aboard, the military sealift vessel covered 4580 nautical miles, without the ship needing to take on additional food or fuel over 23 days.  

• South Island continues to hold strong with Canterbury outperforming the rest of the country
• Otago and Waikato coming in second place equal
• Auckland shows promising signs of improvement, jumps to fourth place
• Wellington remains under pressure, finishing last place.

Canterbury continues to shine in ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard, finishing 2025 as New Zealand’s strongest-performing region as signs of economic recovery broaden across the country.

ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard shows Canterbury secured its third quarterly win of the year, outperforming the country across nearly every key measure the bank tracks including employment, retail spending, housing activity and population growth.

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley says the South Island continues to lead New Zealand’s multi‑speed recovery.

“Canterbury has delivered back‑to‑back wins to close out the year, supported by strong dairy incomes, steady jobs growth, resilient consumer spending and the recovery of the tourism sector. The region enters 2026 in a very strong position,” says Nick.

Otago and Waikato tied for second place, with Otago buoyed by a strong tourism recovery and Waikato benefiting from its robust primary sector and improving labour market conditions. We expect the incoming Fonterra capital return to be a further boost for our Dairy farming regions via more spending and investment.

Auckland climbed to fourth place, recording improvements in retail spending, construction activity and consumer confidence, although labour market conditions in the city remain subdued.

“Seeing Auckland continue to improve is an important signal that the economic upswing is widening beyond the regions that led earlier in the cycle,” says Nick.

At the other end of the rankings, Wellington finished last, reflecting ongoing weakness in the housing market, construction activity and discretionary spending, despite relatively strong employment growth.

“Looking ahead, Wellington’s economy is forecast to recover, supported by low interest rates. Nevertheless, ongoing and emerging challenges may temper the pace of that recovery.”

Nationally, the economy showed signs of growth toward the end of 2025. Retail spending lifted strongly across most regions, supported by lower interest rates, while employment indicators showed early signs of stabilisation. However, ASB economists caution that global uncertainty remains a key risk.

“Conflict in the Middle East presents fresh headwinds, particularly through higher energy costs and inflation risks. The situation and extent of any impact to growth and inflation is highly uncertain and will depend on how long the conflict goes on for,” says Nick.

Results in a snapshot

About the ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

The ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard takes the latest quarterly regional statistics and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand's 16 Regional Council areas. The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the national economy raises the ratings of all regions. Ratings are updated every three months, and are based on 11 measures, including employment, construction, retail trade, and house prices.

The full ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard, along with other recent ASB reports covering a range of commentary, can be accessed at our ASB Economic Insights page: https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-insights.html

New data showing record-breaking cocaine consumption is just the latest evidence that the country’s drugs approach is failing, the NZ Drug Foundation says.

New wastewater testing data released by Police today shows cocaine consumption surged nationwide to an all-time high in Q4 2025, exceeding MDMA consumption for the first time. Meanwhile, methamphetamine consumption remained stubbornly high following a doubling in the second half of 2024. (ref. https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/national-drugs-wastewater-testing-programme-quarter-4-2025 )

“Cocaine consumption has been increasing since mid-2022. Cocaine carries increased risk of a few harms, including increased addiction and overdose,” says Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm.

The data is a stark illustration that we have our policy settings wrong.

“The dramatic increases in methamphetamine and cocaine consumption over the last two years are unprecedented,” she says.

“A long-term under-investment in treatment and harm reduction, coupled with an over-reliance on supply side measures hasn’t worked,” says Helm.

“Consumption is at record levels, drug use is diversifying, prices are down, harm is increasing, and new potent drugs are arriving. Every indicator is screaming at us to change our approach,” Helm says.

Helm says new interventions announced last week in the Government’s Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Substance Harm will go some way to responding to the increase in harm, but a more fundamental shift is needed.

“If we could wave a magic wand, we would do two things: vastly increase the spending on addiction treatment and harm reduction, and change our drug laws. While these things won’t remove all problems, the evidence is clear that it would reduce the worst harms and provide us with more tools to tackle the increase in harm. But if we continue doing more of the same, things will continue to get worse,” says Helm.

Helm says the Drug Foundation's report Safer Drug Laws for Aotearoa NZ provides a template for reform. (ref. https://drugfoundation.org.nz/topics/policy-and-advocacy/safer-drug-laws )

Date: Saturday 21 March 2026 – “The people of New Zealand continue to await political leadership from Christopher Luxon regarding the US and Israel’s illegal and aggressive
war on Iran. Instead, today he has issued a statement condemning Iran because it will cost us more for oil. It is frankly astonishing that he blames Iran for defending itself while being on the receiving end of US and Israeli bombs and missiles,” said Valerie Morse of Peace Action Wellington.

“The Israelis just bombed the Iranian Pars gas field – the single largest natural gas field in the world. Last week, the US bombed Tehran’s oil refinery, resulting in black smoke choking the city and acid rain falling. Where was Luxon’s condemnation of those actions?”

“To assign blame to the Iranians for hitting oil and gas infrastructure and shutting down the Straits of Hormuz while steadfastly ignoring those who are entirely responsible for this horror – the US and Israel – requires a complete inversion of reality and complete abandonment of any political principles.”

“That Luxon and his Coalition partners are craven lackeys of the United States and Israel comes as little surprise to those of us on the front lines of the pro-Palestine movement. We have watched for two years while Luxon and his coalition mates have been complicit supporters of the most grotesque genocide of 70,000 people.”

“This war will not end anytime soon unless Trump decides to pull the US out, which is the only sensible course of action. He and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have seriously underestimated the Iranian government. Instead what we are likely to see is a widening of this war with much more death and destruction.”

“The pain New Zealanders will feel at the petrol pump is the fault of the US and Israel. Luxon would do well to align his statements with the facts, not the fantasies of the criminal leaders of rogue states.”