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New Zealand Moves to Block Climate Lawsuits
Coverage from Inside Climate News, Reuters, and others
Articles
6
Active Days
58
The Topic
New Zealand’s government has introduced legislation intended to prevent courts from holding major greenhouse-gas emitters liable in tort for climate-related harm, including claims already before the courts. The measure would affect Mike Smith’s case against companies including Fonterra and Z Energy, which the Supreme Court allowed to proceed to trial in 2024, and has prompted Smith to seek judicial review. The dispute centers on whether climate accountability should be handled through Parliament and existing regulatory systems or remain open to judicial claims, with wider questions about constitutional process and New Zealand’s international climate commitments.
First Article: 05/12/26
Latest Article: 07/08/26
Summary
- The proposed amendment would bar current and future tort claims alleging that greenhouse-gas emissions caused climate-related harm.
- The measure could prevent Mike Smith’s case against six major emitters from reaching its scheduled April 2027 trial.
- Smith has asked the High Court to review whether the government lawfully introduced the bill and interfered with ongoing court proceedings.
- Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says climate policy should be managed by Parliament, the Emissions Trading Scheme and existing legislation rather than piecemeal litigation.
- Critics argue the proposal weakens access to accountability, raises separation-of-powers concerns and favors major emitters.
- New Zealand’s approach is part of a broader international dispute over corporate climate liability, including similar restrictions under consideration or enacted in U.S. states.
History
The story now confirms the government has formally introduced the liability-limiting amendment, moving it from proposal to active legislative action. It also sharpens the legal stakes by tying the measure more directly to Smith’s Supreme Court-approved case and his High Court challenge.
The story has moved from a proposed restriction on climate tort claims to an active legislative and judicial confrontation, with the government now pushing a bill that could extinguish Smith’s live case while he challenges the move in court. The current version also adds a new legal question: whether the amendment conflicts with New Zealand’s international climate commitments.
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Timeline: 58 Days
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