Climate Change
MoRST’s role in policy development for climate change is outlined in the introduction to the Environment section.
What’s happening in Government?
A key resource for climate change is New Zealand Government's climate change website - this is the gateway into the work of the New Zealand Climate Change programme, an interdepartmental process led by the Ministry for the Environment and involving 10 Government departments (including MoRST) and one Crown agency.
You will find resources such as reports, cabinet papers, press releases, information for schools, and newsletters.
What are New Zealand’s international obligations?
The Government ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on 10 December 2002. However, for the Kyoto Protocol to come into force two conditions have to be satisfied:
- at least 55 Parties to the Convention have to ratify (or approve, accept, or accede to) the Protocol; and
- this has to include Annex I Parties accounting for 55% of that group’s carbon dioxide emissions in 1990.
Foreshadowing the Kyoto Protocol coming into force the Government announced its confirmed policy package on climate change in October 2002, setting out its policies for meeting New Zealand's targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
What’s the role of research, science and technology in climate change?
New Zealand currently spends around $23 million each year on climate change research. Around $20 million of this money is administered by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology through their Vote RS&T programme. Other sources of funding include the private sector, universities, government departments and local government.