Bell Gully partner Natasha Garvan talks to Nikki Mandow about the latest report in its ‘Big Picture’ series – Climate Change: Towards Adaptation | Content partnership
*Watch the full story in the video below*
The next few months will be critical in terms of our national conversation around climate change adaptation, emissions reduction and managed retreat.
New legislation, changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme, a Cabinet decision on pricing agricultural emissions, and the first set of climate statements under the new mandatory disclosure reporting regime – all are expected before the end of the year or in 2024.
Oh, and there’s a general election too.
The latest report in Bell Gully’s ‘Big Picture’ series: Climate Change: Towards Adaptation takes a closer look at the increasing range of factors businesses must now consider.
Bell Gully partner Natasha Garvan, a specialist in environmental and resource management law, talks to Newsroom about the new report. A key theme in our conversation is the need for certainty for individuals and companies, as they make climate and emissions-related decisions.
One of the key things Garvan would like to see is clear guidance in the upcoming Climate Change Adaptation Bill around funding mechanisms for any managed retreat, what the respective roles for central and local government are going to be and, critically, whether there will be bipartisan support for the legislation.
But company leaders need to make decisions whatever emerges, she says.
“Climate change is here and now. We’re already seeing the impacts of climate change on business and on society. So regardless of the legislative framework there’s a need to grapple with 'What are the implications? What does this mean for my business?'
“We’re seeing the market drive a lot of decisions. There are insurance decisions, customer decisions, and governance and risk requirements that are driving behaviour.”
Subsequent to filming, Climate Change Minister James Shaw called for a select committee inquiry into community-led retreat and adaptation funding, a process that will conclude in the next parliamentary term. The Ministry for the Environment also released an ‘issues and options’ paper looking at those issues, and a report from The Expert Working Group on Managed Retreat, which will be provided to the committee to support the inquiry.
Bell Gully is a foundation supporter of Newsroom
