New Zealand government sued over climate plan

A group of environmental lawyers is suing New Zealand's government for allegedly failing to act on climate targets.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) and Lawyers for Climate Action NZ filed legal proceedings against minister, Simon Watts, alleging that the government's emissions reduction plan fails to fulfil the law.

The government must legally put in place an emissions reduction plan for the country every five years, with the ultimate goal to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ executive director Jessica Palairet said the latest plan missed the mark.

"It takes a high-risk, forestry-led approach to emissions reductions. Our law requires more," Palairet said.

"As it stands, the government's emissions reduction plan will carry huge consequences for our country. We don't take this step lightly, but the plan needs to be challenged."

ELI's director, research and legal, Matt Hall said the current government had cancelled 35 policies and actions that were part of the first plan, without consultation as required by the law.

"It then put in place a second emissions reduction plan which is almost devoid of actions or policies for reducing emissions at their source."

The group said it believed in fairness and the rule of law.

"As a wealthy country, we need to meet our climate targets with real action, as part of the global effort to limit warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius this century," a joint statement said.

Mr Watts, who is the Minister for Climate Change, declined to comment on the judicial review as the matter was before the courts.