Forest & Bird, Greenpeace Aotearoa, and WWF-New Zealand have come together to set out a clear policy roadmap for Aotearoa – one that shows how we can protect nature, respond to climate change, and make life more affordable for everyday New Zealanders.
The roadmap was written to spark public debate and was shared with all major political parties, because protecting our land, water, climate, and future should never be a partisan issue.
Aotearoa is at a turning point
Nature is in serious trouble. Rivers, oceans, wildlife, and even drinking water are being polluted and degraded. Climate change is already reshaping daily life – driving floods, storms, heat, rising insurance costs, and growing pressure on households and communities.
Native wildlife is disappearing at one of the fastest rates in the world and our ocean is being damaged by destructive fishing and climate change.
Meanwhile, the systems meant to protect people and nature are being weakened often to fast-track short-term profits for a few, while the public carries the cost.
This roadmap demonstrates that we don’t have to choose between a strong economy and a healthy environment.
In fact, protecting nature is one of the smartest economic decisions we can make. When nature thrives, so do people.
The plan has practical, nature-based solutions:
1. Protect nature. Everyone benefits from this
This plan calls for urgent action to stop practices that pollute rivers, damage the seabed, and push native wildlife closer to extinction.
It prioritises restoring wetlands, forests, rivers, and coastal ecosystems, and protecting at least 30% of land and ocean by 2030. These aren’t abstract targets. Healthy ecosystems are what keep drinking water clean, reduce flood risk, protect food production, and underpin long-term economic stability.
Investing properly in conservation and restoration also creates skilled jobs in every region – work that strengthens communities while rebuilding the natural systems we all rely on.
2. Adjust how we farm, fish, and produce food
The plan supports farmers to transition to cleaner, more resilient farming, while stopping new dairy conversions and reducing pollution from intensive practices that are degrading rivers and drinking water.
In the ocean, it ends destructive fishing methods and restores transparency to fisheries management.
By backing high-value, sustainable food and fibre, Aotearoa can protect its clean-green reputation, secure export markets, support rural jobs, and ensure future generations can rely on healthy land and seas.
3. Shift fully to clean energy and transport
The roadmap recognises that the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis are deeply linked. By investing in household solar, insulation, and heat pumps, it cuts power bills while reducing pressure on the grid.
Ending new coal, oil, and gas projects is paired with major investment in renewable energy, rail, public transport, and active travel. This shift reduces our reliance on volatile imported fuels, lowers energy costs over time, and improves air quality in towns and cities.
Large-scale clean energy and transport investment creates tens of thousands of skilled jobs across the country – from electricians and engineers to builders and planners – while making communities more resilient to climate shocks and energy price spikes.
Cheaper and free public transport for those who need it most, alongside a move away from expensive motorway expansion, lowers everyday travel costs and improves health.
4. Fix democracy so polluters pay, not the public
The roadmap is clear that environmental decline is tied to democratic decline. Fast-track laws that sideline communities and override environmental protections have shifted costs onto the public while shielding polluters.
This plan restores fairness by honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in environmental decision-making, strengthening enforcement, and making polluters pay for the damage they cause.
When transparency and public participation are restored, decisions are made in the long-term public interest – not for short-term corporate gain – rebuilding trust in government and ensuring everyone has a genuine say in the future of their place.
It’s time to have courage for the environment
This plan is a chance to reset our direction as a country. The document also sets out clear actions for the first 100 days of a new government – practical steps that can be taken immediately to show a real change in direction. It shows that protecting nature protects people, that a fair and resilient economy depends on healthy land, water, oceans, and climate, and that delay only makes the damage harder, and more expensive, to fix.
Courage and action for the environment now is better for all of us.