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International reporting

Meeting international reporting obligations is a key objective of the Ministry's national environmental reporting programme. For New Zealand to be a good international citizen, it must regularly report on its environmental performance to both the OECD and the United Nations.

The five principles that shape the Ministry's national environmental reporting programme ensure that New Zealand's national environmental reporting aligns with international reporting. In particular, the first principle states:

The national environmental reporting programme will adhere to international best practice, specifically OECD best practice, wherever possible in its design, implementation and development.

OECD Environmental Performance Review

The Ministry leads work across government relating to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) review of New Zealand's environmental performance. The reviews aim to help governments assess progress, promote policy dialogue and stimulate greater accountability. These comprehensive reviews occur approximately every five years.

Latest OECD review

The 2005/2006 OECD Environmental Performance Review of New Zealand (the report for which was published in April 2007) made several specific recommendations relating to the need for more quantitative environmental information at the national scale.

In particular, the review recommended that New Zealand:

  • report periodically on key environmental indicators at the national level
  • expand the availability of [national] quantitative indicators and time-series data related to environmental quality, assuring policy relevance and public access.

A key aspect of each review is to consider progress against earlier OECD review recommendations. The 2005/2006 review examines progress made by New Zealand since the previous OECD Environmental Performance Review in 1996.

The conclusions and recommendations are available from the OECD's website.

To request a copy of the full report email environmental.reporting@mfe.govt.nz.

OECD's environmental indicators

The Ministry for the Environment's core set of 22 national environmental indicators align well with the OECD's environmental indicators. Sixty-four per cent of New Zealand’s core indicators are identical or very similar to the OECD’s indicators.

Want to know more about OECD indicators?

The OECD website has comprehensive information on:

Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework

The Ministry for the Environment's core set of 22 national environmental indicators were derived using the internationally recognised Pressure-State-Response (PSR) reporting framework.

The PSR framework is commonly used internationally and nationally:

  • Among OECD countries reviewed, 87 per cent used the framework, or a modified version of it, in their most recent state of the environment report.
  • In New Zealand, 69 per cent of regional councils used the framework in their most recent state of the environment report.

Using a framework already familiar to both decision-makers and reporting partners can achieve a better uptake of indicator information, and aid international comparison of New Zealand's environmental performance.

 

Last updated: December 2008