Industry call for cross-party consensus

Ensuring that our homes, schools, and hospitals are warm, and that our and industries have reliable and affordable energy shouldn’t be a partisan issue.  GasNZ and leaders from 11 other energy and resources organisations have signed a joint letter urging political leaders to join forces on a critical issue: the future of New Zealand's energy.

We're concerned about the lack of resilience in our energy markets and the impacts that the current natural gas and electricity supply shortages are having on New Zealanders. We want politicians and industry to work together to develop a clear plan for the future so that New Zealanders can have certainty about the energy future we need to thrive. This plan needs to balance our economic and social well-being with our aspirations for long-term environmental sustainability.

The letter urges all political parties in Parliament to work together in the interests of all New Zealanders to develop a shared framework. By agreeing on core principles that guide our energy and resources strategies, we can create a stable environment that attracts investment, meets the needs of communities, and drives us towards a net-zero carbon future.  

If we fail to do this, we risk repeated policy swings every time the government changes – which will be to the detriment of us all.

Clearly an agreed framework on energy will not be able to reconcile all political differences, but the letter suggests the shared consensus should aim for:

• policy stability

• an energy system that is resilient to climate change and that uses diverse technologies

• ensuing consumers and industry have access to affordable energy, and 

• the energy sector playing a fair part in the journey to a net-zero emissions future

The signatories all indicated their desire to work with any cross-party group looking to achieve these outcomes.  You can read the full letter here.