Greens unveil Clean Energy Plan to tackle use of fossil fuels

Co-leader James Shaw said the Clean Energy Plan will empower communities. Photo / RNZ, Dom Thomas

By RNZ.

The Green Party wants an immediate ban on new industrial coal boilers, as part of its plan to transition away from fossil-fuels.

The party has unveiled its Clean Energy Plan, its latest election year announcement, which co-leader James Shaw said will empower communities, businesses and families to create a sustainable country.

"Our Clean Energy Plan is the first part of our transformational plan to end the use of fossil-fuels in Aotearoa. It will help to ensure our grandchildren inherit a world where they can not only survive, but thrive," Shaw said.

The Greens are proposing to bring forward the government's 100 percent renewable energy target by five years to 2030 and re-instate the ban on building new fossil fuel electricity generation.

Shaw said previous government's use of dirty fossil fuels meant they failed in responding to the challenge of climate change.

"Our window to act is shrinking and we must make meaningful changes now to secure our children's future," he said.

"When all our energy comes from the sun, the wind, and the flow of rivers, we won't need to burn the fossil fuels that cause the climate crisis."

If elected into government, the party would train people for clean energy jobs, establish a multi-million dollar fund for renewable energy community projects, make it easier to build wind turbines and stop new permits for new onshore fossil fuel extraction.

The Greens are also promising to introduce grants and loans so home and business owners can install solar panels, which would be installed in some public houses too.

-Clean Energy Plan
-Establish a Clean Energy Industry Training Plan to support thousands of people into jobs.
-Introduce grants to halve the price of installing solar in privately-owned homes, and
offer grants and low-interest loans for businesses to transition.
-Upgrade all 63,000 social and community homes with solar panels and batteries.
-Ban new industrial coal boilers within the first 100 days in Government.
-End coal use in Aotearoa by 2030.
-Create a $250 million Clean Energy Fund which communities can draw from for local renewable energy projects.
-Simplify planning rules to make it easier to build wind turbines.
-Energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said the Clean Energy Plan "allows us to go further
and faster on climate action by supporting all of us to move to clean energy".

"It is an investment in all of our futures, which creates firm targets, clear oversight, and an example for the world to follow," Hughes said.