Climate · Party position

TOP on Climate

Strengthen climate rules, adapt communities, reward natural carbon storage

The Opportunities Party says climate change is real and caused by people. They want to make the Emissions Trading Scheme stronger by including farming emissions and keeping pine trees out of carbon credits. They want to help councils deal with flooding and heat, reward landowners who store carbon in soil and wetlands, and improve air quality through economic incentives.

What they say they'll do

Strengthen the Emissions Trading Scheme by adding a mechanism for agricultural emissions, excluding new exotic forestry and ensuring the Climate Change Commission sets budgets
Support local government in implementing nature-based solutions for flood resilience and heat stress
Support programmes that reward carbon sequestration via soil, wetlands and other biodiversity-rich projects, instead of pine trees
Boost renewable generation by securing cross-party agreement to add 30GW to the grid by 2050
Electrify houses, communities and businesses by issuing low-interest loans for household electrification and electrifying public transport systems
Oppose building an LNG import terminal, saying it locks New Zealand into long-term reliance on imported fossil fuel

Who this affects

Farmers

Agricultural emissions would be brought into the Emissions Trading Scheme, meaning farmers would face a carbon cost mechanism that does not currently apply to them.

Households

Low-interest loans for home electrification and home insulation are proposed, alongside projected savings of $500–$2,700 per year from cheaper electricity bills.

Coastal and flood-prone communities

Local councils would be supported to put in place nature-based solutions to manage flood risk and heat stress in towns and neighbourhoods.

Landowners and conservation projects

Programmes rewarding carbon storage through soil, wetlands and biodiversity-rich projects would be supported, rather than through exotic pine forestry.

In their own words

“Climate change is real, is caused by human activity and is already here.”

“Strengthen the Emissions Trading Scheme by adding a mechanism for agricultural emissions, excluding new exotic forestry and ensuring the Climate Change Commission sets budgets.”

“300% more renewable electricity generation capacity (up to 30 Gigawatts by 2050).”

Verify at The Opportunities Party — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from The Opportunities Party’s own official policy (as at 2026-09-07) 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 TOP’s policy document · February 2026

Abundant Energy: tripling renewable generation by 2050

TOP would set a 30 GW renewable capacity target for 2050 — roughly triple today’s — locked in through a 25-year cross-party Energy Strategy. New generation would be underwritten by a Capacity Investment Scheme modelled on Australia’s. Four energy regulators would merge into one, and 29 distribution companies into six to eight. The Crown’s dividends from its gentailer shareholdings, about $500 million a year, would be ringfenced to pay for household and community electrification.

Capacity target

30 GW by 2050

Spent offshore now

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Te Tai Tokerau											∅

TOP on Climate

What they say they'll do

Who this affects

In their own words

Abundant Energy: tripling renewable generation by 2050

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