Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is calling for a national climate adaptation framework as severe weather batters New Zealand's North Island, with five districts in states of emergency—but critics note his government continues backing fossil fuels while asking citizens to adapt to worsening disasters.
Heavy rain and strong winds have lashed large parts of the North Island overnight, causing flooding, power outages, and forcing evacuations. Luxon told Morning Report the climate adaptation work will be "multi-generational" and needs bipartisan support.
Mate, here's the problem with Luxon's "adaptation" rhetoric: his government is simultaneously promoting New Zealand's oil and gas industry while telling citizens to prepare for increasingly severe climate disasters. That's not adaptation—that's making the problem worse while asking people to deal with the consequences.
The districts under emergency declarations include areas across the North Island that have been hit by repeated severe weather events in recent years. Climate scientists have been warning that New Zealand faces increasing frequency and intensity of atmospheric river events—massive bands of moisture that dump extraordinary rainfall.
Luxon's call for a national adaptation framework sounds sensible until you examine his government's actual climate policies. The National-led coalition has rolled back emissions reduction targets, promoted fossil fuel exploration, and cut funding for climate initiatives.
Environmental advocates are calling it classic political double-speak: acknowledge climate change is happening, promise long-term planning, but actively undermine mitigation efforts that might actually slow the warming.
The "multi-generational" framing is particularly frustrating to climate activists. It suggests this is a slow-moving problem requiring patience when in reality, disasters are hitting now and the window for preventing catastrophic warming is rapidly closing.
Pacific Island nations are watching New Zealand's climate stance closely. As a wealthy developed nation with the resources to lead on climate action, New Zealand's retreat from ambition sends a troubling signal to vulnerable island states already experiencing climate impacts.
Tuvalu, Kiribati, and other low-lying nations face existential threats from rising seas. When New Zealand talks about adaptation while promoting fossil fuels, Pacific leaders hear a wealthy neighbor prioritizing short-term economic interests over regional solidarity.
Opposition climate spokesperson James Shaw said the government was "preparing to manage disasters while actively making them worse." He called for New Zealand to return to its previous climate leadership role.
For residents being evacuated from flooded homes, the "multi-generational" framing offers little comfort. They need immediate support—and a government willing to actually tackle the root causes of worsening weather, not just ask them to adapt while continuing to dig up fossil fuels.
The severe weather is expected to continue across the North Island through the weekend, with more states of emergency likely to be declared.
