Judith Collins says ending oil and gas exploration is the "worst thing" the Government could have done to combat climate change.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Energy Minister Megan Woods announced no more exploration permits would be issued, with a small exemption for onshore parts of Taranaki.

Existing exploration permits are still valid. Presently there are 31 active permits for oil and gas, 22 of them offshore. Some last until the 2040s, so it's likely oil and gas will be extracted for decades yet.

"No current jobs will be affected by the announcement," Labour MP Phil Twyford told The AM Show on Friday.

"We have 27 fields that are in current production around the country, 100,000km of sea - an area equivalent to the North Island - currently [undergoing] exploration."

But the decision has outraged the Opposition. National has promised to reverse the decision, saying it will not only "throw away" 10,000 jobs, but accelerate New Zealand's growing rate of carbon emissions.

"This is the worst thing you can do in terms of carbon emissions," Ms Collins told The AM Show.

"Natural gas is a very clean-burning fuel and currently fuels about 16 percent of our electricity supply, plus many homes and many businesses all around particularly the North Island."