'We are a role model': how James Shaw pushed New Zealand towards a zero-carbon future

Green’s co-leader and architect of Jacinda Ardern’s ambitious climate policies says optimism in the face of climate change is essential

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When James Shaw’s zero-carbon bill passed with bipartisan support in parliament on Thursday, New Zealand became one of the first countries in the world to enshrine its climate change targets in law. But for someone at the centre of a landmark piece of legislation, Shaw is a reluctant politician.

Although the Green’s co-leader has been a party member since his teenage years, inspired by the French bombing of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985, he responds to a question about whether he is a career MP with, “No. I can’t. I couldn’t,” and then adds “no” a few more times for emphasis.

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