Climate · Party position

NZ First on Climate

Withdraw from Paris Accord and prioritise domestic energy resources

NZ First says it will pull New Zealand out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. It also wants to invest $1 billion in a national survey of underground energy, geothermal, and CO₂ storage sites to help secure New Zealand's fuel future. The party plans to establish a Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point, which is linked to energy development.

What they say they'll do

Withdraw New Zealand from the Paris Accord
Invest $1 billion in a 'National Subsurface Development Survey' to identify energy, geothermal, and CO₂ storage sites
Create a framework for New Zealand to develop subsurface resources and extract those resources
Establish a Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point

Who this affects

General public and energy consumers

NZ First's plan to exit the Paris Accord and survey underground resources would change the direction of New Zealand's climate and energy policy, potentially affecting how the country generates and secures its energy supply.

Regional communities near resource sites

The subsurface survey and resource development framework could affect communities near energy, geothermal, or CO₂ storage sites identified for potential extraction or development.

In their own words

“New Zealand First is saying we need to get out of the Paris Accord altogether”

“New Zealand First will be campaigning on an initial investment of $1 billion over the term of government, into a 'National Subsurface Development Survey' - to identify and create one national dataset across energy, geothermal and CO₂ storage sites”

“create the framework for New Zealand to develop those sites, extract those resources, and build our country's resilience and prosperous economic future”

Verify at NZ First — 2023 manifesto

Summarised neutrally from NZ First’s own official policy (as at 2026-09-13) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Climate →

In depth — from NZ First’s policy document

Breaking up the gentailers

NZ First would split the four big power companies into separate generation and retail businesses, on the argument that owning both keeps prices high and keeps cheaper retailers out. The pricing system in which the most expensive generator sets the price for all electricity would be replaced, holding back supply to lift prices would be stopped, new generation would get long-term fixed-price contracts and first use of its power, and households with solar could sell back at the price they pay. All under a National Energy Strategy.

Generation controlled

Almost 90%

The split

In depth — from NZ First’s policy document

Fuel security: a $1 billion subsurface survey

NZ First would spend $1 billion over a term of government on a National Subsurface Development Survey, building a single national dataset across energy, geothermal and CO₂ storage sites, and a framework to develop them. The case is that New Zealand’s offshore basins have never been surveyed with modern tools, that the odds of a major commercial discovery are above ninety percent, and that a find would fund a Norwegian-model sovereign wealth fund on royalties well above 50 percent.

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