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How we impact on the environment, economy, society and culture
Our stakeholders have asked us to focus more on how we can achieve environmental outcomes. The overarching focus for our work is the Government’s goal for the environment, which is to “protect and enhance the environment”. We seek to achieve this through policy advice and partnerships aimed at achieving improved outcomes for the environment, such as improved air or water quality. However, in this initial report we have not attempted to make the connection between the work we do (outputs) and the environmental outcomes we are seeking. These linkages will be explored in our forthcoming Statement of Intent [A new publicly available three-year planning document introduced as part of the public service Managing for Outcomes initiative. The Ministry is required to produce its first Statement of Intent before June 2003. For more details, visit www.ssc.govt.nz.], which is currently being developed.
We know it will be a challenge to make links between the work we do and the outcomes we are working towards. Little of our work has been about environmental management on the ground. We work in partnership with others, especially local government, to achieve results, so it is not easy to distinguish between what we achieve through our influence and what is due to the work of others.
We have begun to think about how some of our outputs have impacts on the economy, society and culture as well as impacting on the environment. While we recognise that everything we do can have some impact across all the bottom lines, we think it is important to think about our work in terms of its foremost impact as a first step towards developing a more integrated approach.
We also highlight how these outputs have met the Minister for the Environment’s priority environmental issues. For the reporting period these were:
- climate change
- genetic modification
- hazard and waste reduction
- protecting biodiversity, air and water quality.
Highlights timeline 2001/02
See figure at its full size (including text description).
Working with the environment
The major environmental activities for the Ministry during the reporting period included the launch in September 2001 of the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (produced jointly with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), the launch in March 2002 of the New Zealand Waste Strategy (in partnership with Local Government New Zealand), and the role our staff played in the successful launch in April 2002 of the climate change consultation process (led by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). [The Government confirmed a policy package on climate change in October 2002.]
Why are these significant?
The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy is intended to deliver improvements in energy efficiency that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the local environmental effects associated with the production, transformation, distribution and use of energy. This work contributes to the Minister’s priority for climate change.
Central and local government are now working towards a shared vision on waste issues and have committed themselves to a comprehensive action plan. The launching of the New Zealand Waste Strategy contributes to meeting the Minister’s priority for hazard and waste reduction.
Our work on the climate change consultation process contributes to meeting the Minister’s priority.
In May 2002 the Ministry interacted with a group that included Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Environment Waikato (representing regional councils). The group agreed to work together to achieve clean, healthy water in dairying areas and to finalise an action plan by December 2002.
Why is this significant?
All parties have agreed that the issue of dairying and water quality is critical, are committed to addressing it, and are prepared to sign themselves up to action and performance targets. This work contributes to meeting the Minister’s priority for protecting biodiversity, air and water quality.
In August 2001 the Ministry and our partner organisations launched the new Quality Planning website (www.qualityplanning.org.nz), which provides resource management practitioners with best practice information, discussion forums and access to key contacts.
Why is this significant?
The website means that examples of best practice are accessible to all councils.
An important milestone was reached just after the end of the reporting period, in the signing of the first agreements with regional councils on a partnership approach to environmental monitoring. Taranaki Regional Council was the first council to sign in August 2002, followed by Environment Canterbury in September 2002. This is a key step towards achieving consistent, reliable and comprehensive information about our environment.
Why is this significant?
Partnerships agreements are a significant step towards environmental data in New Zealand being collated throughout the country in a consistent manner. This moves New Zealand closer towards being able to track national trends in environmental quality, to understand the pressures influencing trends, and to determine the success of current policy responses. This work contributes to meeting the Minister’s focus on working in partnerships.
Along with the highlights there are always things that could have gone better. In particular we have been criticised for slow progress with Resource Management Act (RMA) amendments and the related delay on the proposed National Policy Statement on Biodiversity. Slow progress in remedying contaminated sites has also been criticised.
Working with the economy
We have been a key player in the development of the Wood Processing Strategy, a partnership between the forest industry, central government and local government. The strategy will enable the large number of plantation forest trees scheduled for harvest over the next five years to be processed without delay, while minimising impacts on the environment. Our role has been to help deal with possible or perceived impediments in RMA processes.
We commissioned a study to estimate the value of New Zealand’s clean green image to the export trade in dairy and organic products, and to inbound tourism. The report, Valuing Our Clean Green Image (August 2001) suggested that New Zealand’s environmental image is hugely significant to the value New Zealand can derive from goods and services in the international marketplace. Our clean green image is potentially worth hundreds of millions – if not billions – of dollars.
During 2001 we reviewed options for the use of environmental taxes as instruments for achieving environmental policy objectives. This was part of our input to the Government’s Tax Review 2001 (published in October 2001). The main options examined were the use of a carbon charge and a waste levy. The partial carbon tax was put forward as part of the Government’s preferred policy package in April 2002.
In March 2002 we launched a Landfill Full Cost Accounting Guide. This provides guidance for landfill managers on calculating a cost for each tonne of waste disposed of at a landfill. We hope it will ensure that the effects of waste disposal are consistently and more accurately costed.
The Ministerial Panel on Business Compliance produced its report to the Government, Finding the Balance: Maximising compliance at minimum cost, in July 2001. One-third of the recommendations related to the RMA, with most falling under the heading “encourage more effective implementation of the RMA”. We have been allocated $1.05 million for nine projects to reduce the costs associated with the resource consent process under the RMA.
Working with society
In 2001 we initiated the Rio+10 community programme to seek public input on New Zealand’s key environmental problems and priorities for future action. A summary of priorities was fed into New Zealand’s report to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Towards Sustainable Development in New Zealand.
We produced updated guidance on air quality management for regional councils and government agencies responsible for managing outdoor air quality under the RMA.
In parallel with the Stockholm Convention, the Government has set a policy goal to reduce New Zealanders’ exposure to dioxin to 10% of present-day levels over the next 20 years. During the year we released a Dioxin Action Plan for consultation.
Working with Māori
Impacts on culture extend to all cultural groups within New Zealand’s artistic and cultural life. In this report we have focused on our responsibilities to Māori as a Treaty partner and our Māori cultural impact.
In response to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, the Government decided to amend the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act to better reflect the Treaty relationship between Māori and the Crown. We have been involved in identifying potential options, and a discussion document on these has been submitted to a Māori reference group for consideration. It will then go out for public consultation with the other proposed amendments to the Act.
As part of our programme to identify and report on Māori environmental indicators, we have worked collaboratively with Ngai Tahu to turn their indicators for stream health into a cultural health index in a way that can be incorporated into catchment management decisions.
We are also working closely with Environment Waikato and Ngati Tuwharetoa to agree on a way forward in addressing water quality issues for Lake Taupo.
Our contribution to Government sustainable development initiatives
Our staff contributed to the preparation of three reports for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in August/September 2002. These reports were Towards Sustainable Development in New Zealand - the New Zealand ‘country report’; The Government’s Approach to Sustainable Development, which outlined the current Government’s activities; and Monitoring Progress Towards a Sustainable New Zealand, a whole-of-government report on sustainable development indicators for New Zealand. These reports can be accessed through our website at www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/susdev/
In February 2002 we set up two pilot groups to explore the value of triple bottom line reporting in the public sector. Most of the agencies involved intend to continue progressing triple bottom line reporting within their organisations. A report on the findings of the pilot groups was published in December 2002 and is available from our website at www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/
We also partnered the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development on a triple bottom line reporting project for business (www.nzbcsd.org.nz), and contributed funding to a Redesigning Resources initiative (www.redesigningresources.org).
