You are here: The issues Climate change

Consultation

Climate change is a complex issue and we value your input on the best course of action to address it. This page summarises current and historical engagement and consultation on Climate Change policies. For more information see the history of policy development.

Emissions Trading Scheme

The government is engaging with the public, stakeholders and Māori on the proposal for a New Zealand emissions trading scheme. Following the scheme’s announcement in September, officials held workshops, meetings, and hui throughout the country, meeting with around 2000 stakeholders. The government also established a Climate Change Leadership Forum to advise the government on climate change issues, involving leaders across business, agriculture and forestry, science and the environment, the union movement, and non-government organisations, to advise the government on climate change issues.

The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill has been introduced to Parliament. It has been referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee, which has called for submissions on the Bill.

To find out more about Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and consultation on the ETS see the Climate Change Solutions website.

Longer term and Transitional policies on Climate Change

In 2006, the Government held several stakeholder consultation workshops to discuss possible new approaches to dealing with climate change.

Three workshops took place during August 2006 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with key sector groups and were led by the Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues David Parker.

Consultation on options for longer term and transitional climate change policies followed these workshops with meetings held from December 2006 to March 2007. These meetings were all over the country on the following five energy and climate change discussion documents:

There are frequently asked questions on these discussion papers and a summary of Discussion Papers.

Thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort to make a submission.

Reports summarising the submissions are available:

Earlier consultation

In 2001/2002, the Government conducted two major consultation rounds with the public and stakeholders. Both rounds involved distributing consultation documents and holding nationwide meetings with the public, local government representatives, business and special interest groups, and hui with Maori. New Zealand school children were also involved in the consultation process with consultation kits sent to schools across the country.

Consultation round one (October-December 2001) asked for feedback on the Government’s intention to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and policy options available to achieve New Zealand’s Protocol obligations.
Consultation round two took place in May 2002 on the Government’s preferred policy package.

Since that time further consultation on a number of issues has been carried out by the Government. Some of these have included:

Workshops regarding the design and implementation details of Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements and Projects were held in 2003.
Consultation with the farming sector was held in June and July 2003 on how a levy to research agricultural emissions reduction could be collected and administered.
In February 2006 the Ministry held a number of workshops for major emitters, representatives of the energy sector and the public to discuss options for addressing greenhouse gas emissions.