Government - who does what?
A whole of government approach is taken on climate change. This approach involves sector specific agencies who are responsible for policy within their sectors.
- The Ministry for the Environment is the agency responsible for coordination of climate change across government. The Ministry is the Designated National Authority under the UN. It is also responsible for reporting under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
- The Ministry of Transport is responsible for transport policy including climate change and energy and the New Zealand Transport Strategy
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is responsible for agriculture and forestry. It has a number of climate change initiatives related specifically to the land-based sectors.
- The Ministry of Economic Development is responsible for the energy sector under the New Zealand Energy Strategy. It is also responsible for the management of the New Zealand Emission Unit Register (NZEUR).
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responsibility for leading New Zealand's international climate change negotiations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works closely with domestic departments in this role. New Zealand’s international activities on the next phase of international climate change action are in progress under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol.
- The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) promotes energy efficiency by changing the way New Zealanders think about and use energy.
- The Treasury provides information, research and policy perspectives papers on climate change.
- A chief executives group (the climate change governance group) made up of these core departments provides governance for the coordination of the policy.
- The Ministry of Research Science and Technology has the specific role of funding research into, science and technology in climate change.
- The Department of Conservation has the specific role of conserving the natural and historic heritage of New Zealand. Climate change may affect New Zealand’s natural heritage.
- Local authorities are required to have regard to the effects of climate change (Local Government New Zealand website) and have regard to the benefits derived from the use and development of renewable energy. However, they have no powers to control the emission of greenhouse gases other than by land use control. New Zealand's main means of controlling greenhouse gas emissions is through the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. There is a voluntary programme to empower local government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from councils’ operations called Communities for Climate Protection –New Zealand (CCP-NZ).
Last updated: 20 October 2009
