New Zealand environmentalists have initiated legal action to challenge the proposed revisions to the Climate Change Act.

A climate activist from New Zealand said on Monday that he has filed a lawsuit in the High Court to challenge Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's proposed revisions to climate-related laws; the revisions aim to prohibit civil claims against large greenhouse gas emitters. Maori elder Mike Smith has applied for a judicial review of the government's decision. The government plans to amend the Climate Change Response Act of 2002 to prevent courts from holding companies liable for climate-related damages caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed amendment would apply to all current and future cases, including Smith's lawsuits against six major emitters. Smith stated in a press release that the government's intervention in ongoing cases without giving him a fair hearing is illegal. He is requesting the court to rule that Goldsmith's statements and the cabinet's decision behind the resolution are not legally valid.