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New Zealand Climate Change

Earth's climate is changing. Over the last 50 to 100 years, this process of change has sped up. It is largely recognised that the increasing amount of human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is the reason the globe is warming at an unprecedented rate. The effects of this are already visible, and the changes ahead of us will be much larger and will happen more quickly than any recent natural climate variations.

If we do not take action to reduce global warming, the world is likely to experience a rise in temperature, increasing sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events and a change in rainfall patterns. These climatic changes will potentially impact on our native ecosystems, industries, infrastructure, health, biosecurity and our economy.

If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced significantly over the coming decades, the impacts of climate change would more than likely get steadily worse and the costs could be severe.

How we respond to climate change now will determine the shape of our future – our economy, environment, and communities. The debate is no longer about whether climate change is happening, but what we do about it.

The government recognises climate change as a long-term strategic issue for New Zealand within the broader context of economic transformation, national identity, and other leading issues such as water quality and flood risk management.

To support the government’s strategy, a series of whole-of-government programmes have started. These programmes are largely aimed at reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, but they also aim to help New Zealand adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change. The following links can provide you with more information about the government’s programmes.

The government’s focus for the future
New Zealand’s solutions – an overview of key government strategies and policies on Climate Change.
Climate change solutions website – Information on causes and effects of climate change. Describes the actions being taken to reduce emissions and the work being done to help people prepare for and adapt to climate change.
Climate change publications on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Adaptation, Reporting and Policy development
Work programme contacts and links
International climate change policy
Find out more about what you can do about climate change and living more sustainably, visit www.sustainability.govt.nz

Last updated: 29 January 2009