Terms of Reference of the Waste Technical Advisory Group

As at February 2010
For the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme

Purpose

This document sets out the terms of reference for the Waste Technical Advisory Group.  This group has been being established to participate in the development of the waste regulations of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, Climate Change (Waste Disposal Facilities) Regulations 2008 (The Regulations).  The Climate Change Response Act 2002 (‘the Act”) contains obligations for participants in the waste sector from 1 January 2012.  Regulations will set out methodologies for participants to monitor and calculate their emissions from disposing waste.

Background

Under the Climate Change Response Act 2002 emissions from the waste disposal sector will be brought into the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZETS) on 1 January 2013.  Mandatory participants are expected to include at least 40 disposal facility operators including private businesses and local authorities.

Including the waste disposal sector in the NZETS presents a number of challenges which need to be worked through.  Many of these challenges are highly technical in nature, and are attributable to issues such as the slow release of emissions through decomposition, complexities in emissions modeling and identification of emissions factors, and associated issues of measurement and verification.  The Ministry for the Environment is therefore seeking a high degree of technical and specialist input from the waste disposal sector in developing the policy underpinning the Regulations to implement the waste disposal components of the NZETS.

Specifically the methodologies of the ETS for waste sector participants will cover:

  • Collection of data
  • Method of calculating emissions
  • Emission factors

The Regulations need to be promulgated at least three months before 1 January 2011 to allow participants adequate time to get their procedures in place before the start date of voluntary reporting. Finalisation of the methodologies during the second third of 2010 is critical.  The existence and support of a waste advisory group is an important part of the process leading to the development of the Regulations.

Terms of Reference

The Director of the Climate and Risk Directorate in the Ministry for the Environment (the Director) has established a Waste Technical Advisory Group (‘WTAG’) to act as the principal tool for engaging with the waste disposal sector on methodologies for the draft content of the Climate Change (Waste) Regulations 2010.  The WTAG comprises technical and policy specialists from the waste disposal sector and government.  The goal is to ensure that the NZETS functions in a sensible and practical manner for the waste disposal facility sector.

Membership

The WTAG comprises approximately ten technical and policy experts from within industry, government, and the technical community, with a Chair appointed by the WTAG. All non-government members were selected to provide specific technical and/or policy expertise rather than to represent particular interests or interest groups.

The WTAG may invite others with relevant expertise to attend meetings from time to time.

Role

The primary roles of the WTAG are to:

  1. Develop an outline of NZ ETS methodologies and emissions factors for the waste disposal sector through workshop/s.
  2. Provide expert comments on the outline of NZ ETS methodologies and emissions factors for the waste disposal sector.
  3. Respond to issues presented to it by central government officials during the course of the development of the NZ ETS methodologies for the waste disposal sector.
  4. Participate in meetings to discuss the NZ ETS methodologies, that will include at least one meeting following the public release of the draft methodologies in the form of regulations to take place before August 2010
  5. Assist the MfE officials with the preparation of reports that summarise the discussion and conclusions reached at each meeting. 
  6. Provide a review and comments on any additional work that is undertaken and that is coordinated by the MfE officials in response to specific issues arising.

In fulfilling its role, the WTAG will uphold the broad NZ ETS core design/objectives. 

Secretariat

The WTAG will be serviced by a secretariat that will perform both an administrative role and an analytical role.  Administrative functions include:

  1. Coordinating WTAG meetings and recording minutes;
  2. Compiling and distributing meeting papers;
  3. A general facilitation role and other roles as required by the Chair.

Deliverables

The WTAG will deliver a report to the Director by the 31st of March 2010 containing identification and discussion on preferred methodologies, emissions factors and associated requirements. The WTAG will comment on the summaries of the meetings held and any reports that may be required in response to issues that are raised after the draft methodologies are made public.  Its primary role is in the provision of advice to MfE officials.

Meeting Process

The following guidelines apply to meetings of the WTAG:

  1. A quorum will be half the membership plus one member.
  2. Substitution of membership is allowable with the prior permission of the Chair.
  3. In the absence of the Chair of the WTAG, the Chair will appoint an acting Chairperson who must be a member of the WTAG.
  4. Members will notify the secretariat within a reasonable time frame if they are unable to attend a meeting.
  5. Meeting notes will be written in summary from and will not attribute any comments to any persons (Chatham house rules).
  6. Minutes of the meeting will be circulated to members within ten working days of the meeting.
  7. Minutes of meetings will not be publicly available, subject to the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 and related requests.

Reporting

The Chair of WTAG may be invited to report to MfE officials from time to time.

Duration

The WTAG will be deemed to have fulfilled its role upon the promulgation of the waste disposal facilities regulations. 

Participation in good faith

The primary role of the WTAG is the provision of independent technical and policy advice.  Members are therefore expected to participate without prejudice to the policy outcome.  Members of the WTAG are required to act in good faith and on a ‘no surprises’ basis.

Confidentiality

Information prepared for the WTAG or by the WTAG will be of interest to member organisations and wider stakeholders.  Where information has been made available to members, they may only circulate it where prior approval has been obtained from the Chair.

Members of the WTAG may seek technical opinions from experts outside the WTAG from time to time. However, the general content of WTAG discussions and technical progress should remain confidential to the WTAG, subject to the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 and related requests.

Last updated: 9 February 2010