Signaling its commitment to a clean energy future, New Zealand’s government has announced it won’t issue any more permits for offshore oil and gas exploration.
The announcement Thursday won’t affect existing permits for exploration or extraction, meaning the industry is likely to continue in the South Pacific nation for several more decades.
Continue Reading Below
Still, the move is a change in direction after voters last year elected the liberal government led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. That followed nine years of conservative leadership under a government that favored expanding the industry.
Ardern has pledged to go green by reducing the country’s net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
Her government also plans to plant 100 million trees each year and ensure the electricity grid runs entirely from renewable energy.
