Agricultural emissions, resource consents and waste policy divide the parties sharply.
Agriculture produces about half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. Plans to price farm emissions have been repeatedly delayed or scrapped.
ACT's 2026 climate policy rules out any tax on agricultural emissions, favouring technology to cut farm emissions without reducing production. Source
The Greens' 2026 manifesto would put a price on agricultural emissions alongside wider ETS reforms such as phasing out forestry offsets. Source
In September 2026 Labour said it would not campaign on pricing agricultural emissions, ending a long-held stance, and would instead review the ETS. Source
The National-led government removed agriculture from the ETS, lowered the methane target and has said there will be no tax on agricultural methane. Source
NZ First backed removing agriculture from the ETS; its farmer MP Mark Patterson welcomed the end of farm emissions pricing as never fit for purpose. Source
Te Pāti Māori has called for methane to be priced immediately under the ETS, with limits on intensive dairying and support for farmers to transition. Source
Opportunity proposes a mechanism to price agricultural emissions, such as through the ETS, though it says the design is still being worked out. Source
Fast-track consenting lets ministers and expert panels approve listed projects more quickly than the usual resource consent process.
ACT voted for the Fast-track Approvals Act, arguing it would lift productivity and ease resource consenting. Source
The Greens voted against fast-track and have named fast-tracked mining projects whose consents they would revoke in government. Source
Labour voted against the Fast-track Approvals Act, but Chris Hipkins has signalled Labour would not revoke consents already granted. Source
National led the Fast-track Approvals Act, creating a permanent fast consenting pathway for major infrastructure and resource projects. Source
NZ First voted for the Fast-track Approvals Act, and its minister Shane Jones has been a leading advocate for fast-tracked mining. Source
Te Pāti Māori opposed the Act and has said it would repeal it and revoke fast-tracked mining projects. Source
UnconfirmedOpportunity accepts consenting needed change but has raised concerns about fast-track projects and community input; no clear position on the regime was found. Source
Plastic shopping bags, produce bags and some single-use items are already banned. Some parties want further phase-outs; others want to pause them.
UnconfirmedACT leader David Seymour criticised Labour's 2020 plan to phase out single-use plastics; no more recent ACT position was found. Source
The Greens' 2026 zero-waste manifesto includes phasing out problematic products, and their policy seeks to prohibit most single-use plastic products. Source
Labour campaigned on and introduced staged single-use plastic phase-outs while in government; no specific 2026 plastics pledge was found. Source
The National-led government kept existing bans but removed the 2025 deadline for the third tranche of plastic phase-outs pending more work. Source
UnconfirmedNo public NZ First position on extending single-use plastic bans was found. Source
UnconfirmedNo public Te Pāti Māori position on extending single-use plastic bans was found. Source
UnconfirmedNo public Opportunity position on extending single-use plastic bans was found. Source