Environment · Party position

Green on Environment

Protect and regenerate NZ's native species and ecosystems

The Green Party says it will take a broad approach to protecting nature in New Zealand. It wants to help native plants and animals recover on land, in rivers, and in the ocean. It plans to create jobs focused on restoring ecosystems, better protect native fish and other species, put more money into getting rid of pests, and set up a special fund to pay for conservation work. It also wants Māori to have a central role in these decisions.

What they say they'll do

Establish a Sovereign Biodiversity Fund to resource regenerative efforts
Establish a job guarantee programme focused on understanding, protecting, and regenerating ecosystems
Broaden legal protections to cover indigenous fish, plants, invertebrates, and fungi
Significantly increase resourcing to eradicate invasive species, prioritising Predator Free 2050 targets
Investigate regulation to limit harvesting of vulnerable aquatic species such as whitebait to allow populations to regenerate
Take a collaborative, Tiriti-based approach to conservation including co-governance and co-management

Who this affects

Farmers and growers

The party says it will require sustainability standards across all food and fibre sectors and support the agricultural sector to protect diverse ecosystems.

Māori communities (whānau, hapū, iwi)

The party says Māori will have integral roles in decisions about resource use and conservation through co-governance and co-management arrangements.

Conservation and pest-control workers

The party says it will create jobs through a guarantee programme focused on protecting and regenerating ecosystems, and significantly increase resourcing for pest eradication bodies.

People who fish recreationally or customarily

The party says it will investigate limiting or suspending harvesting of vulnerable species such as whitebait to allow their populations to recover.

In their own words

“We will make sure Aotearoa New Zealand plays a leading part in protecting the biodiversity of planet Earth from the global mass extinction that is currently underway.”

“All native species and their habitats will be thriving or on a path to recovery in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments.”

“Significantly increasing resourcing for bodies that eradicate and control invasive species and weeds, prioritising the eradication of invasive species identified in Predator Free 2050 and other species with disproportionate effects on indigenous ecosystems.”

Verify at Green — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from Green’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 Environment →

Also contesting, without seats in Parliament
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ALCP
Conservative
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Alliance
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NZ Loyal											∅
Te Tai Tokerau											∅

Green on Environment

What they say they'll do

Who this affects

In their own words

Coverage at a glance