WELLINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) – A New Zealand climate activist said on Monday he has filed a High Court case challenging Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s plan to change climate legislation to block private lawsuits against major greenhouse gas emitters.
Mike Smith, a Maori elder, has applied for a judicial review of the government’s decision to amend the Climate Change Response Act 2002 to prevent courts from finding companies liable in tort for climate-change-related harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed change would apply to current and future cases, including Smith’s lawsuit against six large emitters.
Smith said in a statement the government acted unlawfully by deciding to interfere with live court proceedings without giving him a fair process. He is seeking a declaration that Goldsmith’s announcement and the Cabinet decision behind it were unlawful.
The New Zealand government introduced the legislation in May. Goldsmith said in May that the litigation was undermining business confidence and investment and that New Zealand’s response to climate change should be managed through parliament, its Emissions Trading Scheme and existing climate legislation.
Smith’s existing case alleges the companies’ emissions have contributed to climate change and harmed his land, interests and cultural rights. The Supreme Court reinstated the claim in 2024 and sent it back to the High Court for trial.
Goldsmith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Governments around the world are grappling with litigation aimed at holding companies liable for the damage done by emissions, with cases in Europe, the United States and Australia testing the limits of corporate responsibility.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
