Green Party Proposes AI Data Centre Pause in 2026 Manifesto

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand launched its 2026 election campaign and manifesto under the slogan For all of us during its annual general meeting in South Auckland on July 26, 2026. A central proposal of the platform is a one-year pause on consenting new AI data centres to establish regulations for energy and water usage.

Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick argued that current rules permit these projects to be approved without community input. She cited the Datagrid project in Southland as an example of the high electricity demand associated with hyperscale AI infrastructure.

Beyond technology regulations, the manifesto includes calls to lower the voting age to 16 and reform the public finance system. The party also intends to reject proposed local government rates caps and strengthen the Zero Carbon Act by aligning the national budget process with a 1.5C global warming limit.