As the COP28 climate summit gets underway in Dubai, New Zealand could face blow back as the new government intends to restart oil and gas exploration.
Green Party climate spokesperson James Shaw has criticised new Climate Change Minister Simon Watts, saying he would not be surprised if Watts received "a number of messages" from other countries.
"The world is moving in one direction, we don't want New Zealand to be moving in another."
Shaw also said it's "not a good thing" that New Zealand will be viewed as a country not living up to its climate commitments.
"New Zealand will be classed with those countries, rather than as a leader on climate action," he said.
Last year at the United Nations climate change conference, New Zealand was one of 80 countries that agreed to phase out fossil fuels.
In a statement the Government said "gas is an important transition fuel needed for energy security while the economy is electrified".
New Zealand's WWF chief executive Kayla Kingdon-Bebb said the Government's U-turn on oil and gas will be a negative talking point at the summit.
"I mean we have already seen in the context of the recent Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting that the countries of the Pacific who are on the frontline of climate change are reacting to New Zealand's reversal of position," she said.
Kingdon-Bebb warned of wider repercussions of the reversal throughout the Pacific region.
"Going forward the market access for primary producers actually depends on New Zealand meeting its climate commitments, so we could see the outcome of this manifesting in our trade relationships as well."
Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, COP28 runs until December 14, 2023 with 70,000 people expected to attend from nearly 200 countries.
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