New Zealand's Ardern set to declare climate emergency

(Reuters, 26 Nov 2020) The government will put forward a motion next week.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government is to declare a climate emergency in a symbolic step to increase pressure for action to combat global warming.

The government will put forward a motion to declare the emergency next Wednesday, the government said as parliament reconvened after a general election won by Ardern's party.

"We've always considered climate change to be a huge threat to our region, and it is something we must take immediate action on," Ardern said, according to state broadcaster TVNZ.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to progress a motion around a climate emergency in parliament in the last term, but now we're able to."

Ardern returned to power last month delivering the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century as voters rewarded her for a decisive response to the novel coronavirus.

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Reuters, 26 Nov 2020: New Zealand's Ardern set to declare climate emergency