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Trade Links – Issue 7

INFO 516 June 2010

Welcome

Welcome to the seventh issue of the Trade Links newsletter from the Ministry for the Environment's International Relations team. Trade Links provides information about the Ministry's international trade and cooperation activities.

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In this issue:

What’s hot

On 29 March 2010, the Government of New Zealand and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (“Hong Kong, China”) signed the New Zealand-Hong Kong, China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEP) in Hong Kong.

The CEP is supported by legally-binding side agreements on Environment (as well as one on Labour) that is in line with New Zealand’s broader objectives for sustainable development.

Recent and upcoming cooperation

China

In April 2010, the Ministry supported two experts from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences to attend a workshop in Auckland. The workshop, Helping Islands Adapt, was hosted by the Government of New Zealand with support from a number of partner organisations and countries. The workshop was aimed at developing regional action to combat invasive species on islands to preserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change.

Managing invasive species involves eradicating limiting or preventing the establishment of usually non-native plants and animals. They can drastically and negatively affect native species and ecosystems. They can have a negative impact on food security, the economy, agriculture, health and the livelihoods of people. The Helping Islands Adapt Workshop highlighted successes and facilitated the exchange of experiences across regions. While discussions outlined significant obstacles to managing invasive species on islands, they also showcased how targeted successes have led to major gains for conservation and development. The workshop outcomes will help to effectively manage invasive species threats to island livelihoods and biodiversity at local, national, regional and international levels. For more information about the Workshop contact Nicola Scott at the Department of Conservation ( nscott@doc.govt.nz , +64 4 471 3197).

The Chinese delegation also visited the Landcare research centre at Lincoln to discuss opportunities for collaborating with New Zealand on invasive species management. A follow-up cooperative activity will be hosted in China in October 2010.

During the week of 17 May 2010, the Chinese Climate Change Ambassador, Yu Qingtai made a visit to NZ as part of the Prime Ministerial Fellowship Programme. Included in the Ambassador’s programme was a visit to Agresearch’s Grasslands Research Centre in Palmerston North. Discussions here centered on New Zealand’s initiative to develop an international alliance of researchers to investigate ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Planning also is underway for collaborative activities on rural waste-water treatment, chemicals management .

Chile

In May 2010, three New Zealand experts visited Chile as part of an international feasibility study team. The purpose of the visit was to complete an assessment of the feasibility of eradicating or controlling invasive plants and animals on the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, and establishing effective biosecurity measures. The Juan Fernandez Archipelago is an international Biodiversity Hotspot. It contains about 65 per cent of Chile’s native biodiversity in less than 1 per cent of its land area. Like many islands around the world, invasive species have led to dramatic biodiversity decline and some extinctions.

The work on the Juan Fernandez Archipelago builds on a series of cooperative activities between Chile and New Zealand focusing on managing invasive species. It was opportunity for New Zealand agencies to provide technical support to Chilean invasive species management programmes and to contribute to capacity building in both countries. 

Thailand

From 10 – 14 May 2010, New Zealand hosted a delegation of Thai officials interested in phasing out the use of methyl bromide as a fumigant. The visit included meetings with several government agencies, visits to Plant and Food Research, Nelson City Council, Ports of Nelson, Tauranga and Auckland. There were also meetings with the Chair of Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction (a collaboration of industry groups and researchers), and meetings and site visits with several companies including Genera Limited (a fumigation services company), Bio Security Solutions Limited (who have developed non-chemical BioVapour technology) & Zespri International Limited. The visit served as a useful opportunity to engage with Thai officials on a key trade and environment issue and demonstrated NZ’s capability and on-going commitment to find alternatives to methyl bromide. The visit also contributes towards possible technology transfer opportunities and strengthened links between New Zealand and Thailand under the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer.

Later this year New Zealand expects to host a visit by the Thai Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment who are interested to learn about New Zealand’s environmental law.

Meetings

China

China and New Zealand are working towards holding the second meeting of parties in China in late 2010. Environment Cooperation Agreements usually involve an obligation to hold regular meetings of the parties. The first NZ-China ECA meeting of the parties was held in mid 2009 in Wellington.

Thailand

The third New Zealand – Thai Environment Committee met on 17 March 2010. The Committee reviewed cooperation from 2005 - 2009 and set priorities for the upcoming year. The new priorities for 2010 / 2011 are climate change, environmental governance and environmental science and technology. There was also agreement in principle to consider opportunities for working with other countries and regional institutions, and consider how cooperation can contribute to the objectives of Multilateral Environment Agreements. 

Negotiations

In March 2010 the first round of negotiations for an expanded Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement was held in Melbourne. The second round will be held in week of 14 June 2010 in San Francisco. It is anticipated that the Agreement (currently between New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore) will be expanded to include four new members (Australia, Peru, the United States of America and Vietnam). The negotiations will include discussions on environment and trade cooperation.

India and New Zealand held the first round of free trade agreement negotiations on 7-8 April 2010 at which New Zealand presented our reasons for including environment provisions in free trade agreements.

The fourth round of negotiations for a New Zealand - Korea Free Trade Agreement was held in Wellington from 12- 14 May 2010. We have made good progress on negotiating an environment chapter but progress on some other chapters is slower.

New Zealand will continue to work with Bahrain and Oman to conclude Environment Cooperation Agreements in the context of the Gulf Cooperation Council – New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

Current environment agreements

New Zealand’s free trade agreements include parallel arrangements for countries to work together on broader environmental matters. These arrangements, in the form of Environmental Cooperation Agreements provide a platform for New Zealand to engage with our trade partners in ways that recognise the close connections between trade and the environment.

New Zealand currently has environment agreements or arrangements with:

Previous Issues

The first six issues of Trade Links included information about current trade negotiations, cooperation activities and international progress in this area. They also provided information on trade and environment and introduced the Ministry’s international team.

Contacting us

We welcome your comments and queries, and encourage you to pass this on to others with an interest in environmental cooperation activities.

To contact us please call 439 7572 or email: trade.environment@mfe.govt.nz

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