New Zealand’s transition attempts to a more sustainable economy: political statements and governance realities

ABSTRACT

This article explores how key political parties have operationalised the only three economic models discussed politically in New Zealand, since 2009: green growth (GG); circular economy (CE), bioeconomy (BE). For the later, two approaches are distinguished, given the different sustainability performance expected: a ‘natural bioeconomy’ (BE-1) and a ‘genetic engineering bioeconomy’ (BE-2). Findings indicate that all parties and governments have predominantly supported weak and partial sustainability operationalisations of these models. The conservative National Party conflates resource-intensive capitalism with GG and BE-2. The Labour Party’s approaches to CE and BE-1 are fragmented and narrow, with no overarching national strategies; since retaking power in 2017, governmental initiatives remain dominated by the timid GG approach of the past. Labour is mildly open towards several types of high-risk genetic-engineering, consistent with BE-2. The National Party supports BE-2 transitions as wholeheartedly as the Green Party opposes them. Surprisingly, Labour’s interest in BE-1 and CBE-1 innovations is limited, framed only by climate mitigation goals. It is unclear whether any political party New Zealand currently understands or wishes to implement contemporary conceptualisations of an innovative, ecologically-sound circular natural bioeconomy (CBE-1).

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainability
• transitions
• green growth
• circular economy
• bioeconomy
• genetic engineering
• New Zealand

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. In New Zealand, the electoral cycle only lasts three years.

2. The interpretation adopted at an international conference of environmental stakeholders held in 1998 in Wingspread, United States, is currently the most frequently invoked strong interpretation of the precautionary principle; it states that: ‘When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or\the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. The process of applying the Precautionary Principle must be open, informed, and democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must also involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action.’ (in Raffensperger, Schettler, and Myers 2000).

3. The predecessor of this was the New Zealand Forest service, dis-banned in 1987, in charge with commercial logging (MPI 2020b).

4. Updated policy initiatives can be viewed at the Ministry for the Environment website at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/waste/waste-and-government#legislation

5. The 2002 Climate Change Response Act and its later revisions under National-led governments only incorporated a GG approach, aiming to lower GHG emissions by levels ineffective for combating climate change timely.

6. To speed implementation up, the government was planning a revision of the National Policy Statement on Renewable Electricity Generation.

7. Transport emissions contribute 20% to New Zealand’s total GHG emissions; industrial and process hit contributes 15% while the landfilling of solid waste contributes 5%. The electricity sector is already using 85% of sources from renewable energy, largely thanks to hydropower (MfE 2019b).

8. If all greenhouse gas emissions for the remaining installation/activities utilising fossil fuels are offset domestically through the carbon sequestration, an assessment of ‘transitioning to CE, in the long-term’, would be appropriate for this component. In Table 1 this has already been captured three assessments of climate change instruments.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Valentina Dinica

Valentina Dinica is Associate Professor in Public Policy and Sustainability at the Wellington School of Business and Government, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. She has been researching and teaching on governance for sustainability and resilience, environmental policy, sustainable tourism, Protected Area regulations, renewable energy policies, policy analysis theory and methods, participatory policy processes. Valentina is a member of the IUCN's World Commission for Protected Areas and member of the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Positions held include: Convenor of the Environmental Policy and Politics Network of the New Zealand Political Studies Association, Program Director for the Undergraduate Programs in Public Policy (VUW) and member of the Steering Committee for the university's Distinctiveness Theme on Sustainability and Resilience.