A group of climate sceptics has failed in a bid to challenge NIWA figures on global warming - to the applause of scientists.
The New Zealand Climate Education Trust - a branch of the NZ Climate Science Coalition - challenged National Institute for Atmospheric and Water Research (NIWA) figures, in the High Court at Auckland earlier this year.
The group said NIWA figures which showed a temperature increase of 1degC over the past 100 years was significantly higher than global warming figures around the world and almost 50 per cent above the global average.
In the High Court judgement, released today, Justice Geoffrey Venning ruled that the group had not been successful in any of the challenges they brought against NIWA.
Victoria University associate professor James Renwick welcomed the decision saying it reaffirmed the credibility of science. It was a strong message to those wanting to challenge widely agreed scientific findings to do so honestly and openly in scientific forums, he said.
''Almost all scientists active in climate research agree that human activity is causing the climate to change. For a small group of scientists to appeal to a court of law to find otherwise is bizarre.''
He said NIWA spent well over $100,000 defending the court action which was a waste of money and time.
Justice Venning also rule NIWA's costs should be paid by the sceptics' trust and said if an agreement on the costs could not be reached he would make another ruling at a later stage.
