The Government committed to the Paris Agreement and passed the Zero Carbon Act, both of which set 1.5C of warming as the target. In a statement, Woods said the permit announcements should not be a surprise to anyone. “In July 2018, Cabinet agreed to see out three block offers for onshore blocks in Taranaki: 2018, 2019 and 2020. This is part of that process.” The outcome of the 2020 application process would be announced next year. Woods said she will consider a range of factors before deciding whether the process would proceed this year. If this goes ahead, new permits could be issued in 2023 with exploration rights out to 2033. “No decisions have been made.”