Archived publication
This publication is no longer current or has been superseded.
Find out more
Visit the following websites
www.sustainability.govt.nz
Check out the following list of government initiatives with climate change benefits:
Energy
Current government energy initiatives include the following:
Transport
Some current government transport initiatives include:
Industry
The following are some of the current government industry-related initiatives.
Sustainable land management (agriculture and forestry)
In addition to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, the Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Plan of Action provides a platform for the government to work in partnership with the agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors, Maori and local government on climate change issues.
This is critical to secure the changes in land-use practices needed for New Zealand to successfully adapt to changes in climate, reduce agriculture emissions and secure new forest planting.
In partnership with the sectors, the Plan of Action will deliver:
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A five-year adaptation programme that will help the land management sector build the capability to address the risk and opportunities from climate change. As part of this programme a $5.7 million community irrigation fund will be established to help rural communities adapt to increasing drought risk.
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A range of complementary measures to the Emissions Trading Scheme including the establishment of farm-scale greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting and a $50 million Afforestation Grant Scheme which allows landowners who elect not to enter the Emissions Trading Scheme to realise the climate change mitigation benefits of afforestation.
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A five-year work programme aimed at addressing barriers which hinder the private sector from capitalising on climate change opportunities. This includes the development of a greenhouse gas footprint response for the primary sectors and reviewing market opportunities such as the creation of markets for emission-reducing technologies. In addition, $10 million will be invested in research, development and commercialisation of biofuel, biochar and energy efficiency opportunities.
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A strategic framework for research to provide a comprehensive research and technology platform to underpin the Plan of Action and coordinate the investment of $10 million in new research funding into adaptation and mitigation of agriculture and forestry greenhouse gas emissions.
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A Technology Transfer programme to enhance the ability of the sector to quickly roll out and adopt new technology.
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A communications programme to facilitate delivery of factual information and key messages to the sectors and ensure sustained action over the medium to long term.
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A communications programme to facilitate delivery of factual information and key messages to the sectors and ensure sustained action over the medium to long term.
The government already has in place a range of initiatives that will help the land management sectors address climate change including:
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the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative, a scheme that targets owners of land that will be kept under forest cover indefinitely, rather than clear-felled at the end of each rotation (see www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/pfsi )
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the East Coast Forestry Project - under the existing project, landholders in the region are provided with a cash grant for soil conservation purposes (see www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/east-coast-forestry ).
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other government programmes such as the On-farm Adverse Events Policy (see www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/assistance/adverse-events/index.htm) and Sustainable Land Management (Hill Country Erosion) (see www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/slm-hill-country-erosion-programme/index.htm).
Waste
The government is considering and/or implementing a broad range of waste policies, particularly those driven by targets in the New Zealand Waste Strategy. These include the following:
Households
There are many things we as New Zealanders can do to reduce our household emissions and many of them are remarkably easy to do. Current government initiatives for households include the following.
The Household Sustainability Campaign
The Household Sustainability Campaign focuses on practical ways in which New Zealanders can improve energy efficiency and reduce waste in their homes. This programme will have co-benefits for reducing the impacts of climate change. See the website at www.sustainability.govt.nz.
The EnergyWise Homes Package
This provides a “one-stop-shop” of information and support to improve the energy efficiency and heating of New Zealand homes. The website is at www.energywise.org.nz/. The package is designed to meet the needs of people in all income groups, and across a range of heating and energy efficiency needs. The package includes:
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activities to improve public awareness and information about energy efficiency, the benefits of energy efficiency (for people’s health, wealth and the environment), and existing government initiatives to promote energy efficiency
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research to assess, and help householders compare, the energy efficiency of different household products (eg, hot-water systems, lighting products, space heaters, small-scale energy systems)
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a proposed interest-free loan scheme to help homeowners install or upgrade energy-efficient products (such as insulation, efficient lighting, or hot-water heating systems) and clean heaters in their homes.
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funding to maintain the number of energy-efficiency retrofits through EECA’s EnergyWise Home Grants scheme (targeted at low-income householders) at 12,000 homes per annum
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grants for about 800 new clean heating (Warm Homes) retrofits per annum for low-income households, targeted at areas of low air quality
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developing a Home Energy Rating Scheme for New Zealand, which may require a homeowner to obtain an accredited assessment of their home’s energy efficiency, at the time of sale, with the aim of creating a financial incentive for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency, and a market-based incentive for financial institutions to support such investment. It is intended for the scheme to be launched on a voluntary basis at first, although the government may decide to make it mandatory at some time in the future
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work by central government agencies to support councils to implement new energy efficiency-focused legislation, such as recent changes to the Building Code, and to help councils promote energy efficiency within their communities
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funding for central government agencies to work with private companies and institutions to develop new financial incentives (such as green mortgages or direct subsidies) for householders to invest in energy-efficient technologies.
Smarter Homes
The Smarter Homes website (www.smarterhomes.org.nz) offers advice on how to have a home that is more environmentally and financially sustainable. It has information on energy, design, landscaping, materials, construction and water.
Building Code review
The Building Code review takes into account the new purpose and principles of the Building Act 2004, which includes requirements for sustainable development. The changes to the Code encourage the reduction of emissions by ensuring our buildings are designed, constructed and used in ways that promote energy conservation and efficiency in areas such as water heating, heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting.
Solar Water Heating Programme
This programme will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the uptake of solar water heating, which in turn reduces the demand for electricity and gas. The programme includes:
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an information website for consumers about solar water heating systems
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a quality standard and energy performance modelling for solar water heating systems
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financial assistance to new home builders and existing homeowners
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a commitment to putting more solar water heaters into government buildings
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a contestable innovation fund for new projects, which will lead to a significant increase in the use of solar water heating.
Energy Star
Energy Star is a global mark showing products with outstanding energy efficiency. The energy star label was introduced to New Zealand in July 2005. The label makes it easy for consumers to compare the energy consumption of different models of appliances.
Residential lighting efficiency programme
A campaign by the Electricity Commission to market (including with subsidies) compact, fluorescent (energy-efficient) light bulbs to householders.
New Zealand Housing Strategy
The New Zealand Housing Strategy will help reduce emissions by promoting energy-efficient houses that are healthier to live in. In addition to the health benefits, energy-efficient homes have a reduced environmental impact and lower heating costs.
Urban Design Protocol
The Urban Design Protocol provides a platform to make New Zealand towns and cities more successful through quality urban design. The Protocol seeks to ensure the design of our cities minimises waste production, and energy and water use, and maximises the efficiency of land use and infrastructure.
The roll-out of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy provides an opportunity to accelerate the delivery of these – and additional - measures in partnership with local government, the private sector and community groups.
Public sector
The government is leading the way by taking practical actions to mitigate its own greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency in government activities and buildings. The government is using its $25 billion per year spending power to help drive innovation, cleaner production, and improved cost-effectiveness over the whole life cycle of goods and services as follows.
Sustainable government procurement project
The purpose of the sustainable government procurement project is to make sustainability a core component of government procurement policy and practice. Through sustainable procurement practice, government departments will be encouraged to purchase goods and services which are more water and energy efficient, emit less carbon, produce less waste, and are accredited or environmentally certified where possible.
Carbon neutral public service
This programme aims to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from an initial group of six agencies by 2012. The six lead-in agencies are currently in the process of preparing emissions inventory reports. These reports will be independently verified by December 2007 this year. Unavoidable emissions will be offset, primarily through indigenous forest regeneration projects on conservation land. All 34 public service agencies will have emissions reduction plans in place by December 2007.
Govt3
The Govt3 programme assists central government agencies to undertake sustainable and energy-efficient activities. Approximately 50 agencies have formally signed up to Govt3 membership. The Govt3 programme also engages in less formal partnerships with sustainability leaders in the wider public and private sectors. The programme provides information, practical tools, and links to other agencies that have undertaken similar initiatives. Govt3 focuses on four key topic areas: recycling/waste minimisation, buildings, transport, and office consumables and equipment.
The Govt3 programme will expand in the future to encourage Crown entities, schools and District Health Boards to participate in emissions reduction measures on a voluntary basis.
Communities for Climate Protection
This is a voluntary programme for local councils. It provides a framework for local councils to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations and from their communities by:
Climate change adaptation work programme
The government’s climate change adaptation work programme has developed a range of information and guidance materials on the impacts of climate change and how we can adapt to and prepare for these impacts.
The government will be enhancing adaptation efforts by ensuring better coordination between central government agencies, through the maintenance of partnerships with local government on the need to prepare for climate change.
The Quality Planning website at www.qualityplanning.org.nz/plan-topics/climate-change.php provides information on expected climate change impacts in New Zealand and advice on methods for considering and addressing climate change effects under the Resource Management Act.
Other initiatives
Public awareness
The government has launched public awareness campaigns to raise public awareness about climate change and to inspire individuals to take action. For example, the Ecowise Travel Guide is a leaflet for tourists explaining how to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact when travelling in New Zealand. The leaflet is available on the New Zealand Tourism website at www.tourism.net.nz/community/.
Other public awareness campaigns focus on households or on particular sectors of the economy; for example, the Energywise project www.energywise.org.nz and the Choke the Smoke Campaign www.chokethesmoke.govt.nz.
Existing Projects to Reduce Emissions (PRE)
The Projects to Reduce Emissions (PRE) programme supports initiatives which achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise not occur.
The programme awards participants tradable Kyoto Protocol emissions units for reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period (2008–2012).
The projects must achieve reductions that are additional to business-as-usual, which means the programme helps bring forward projects that would not otherwise be economic. Projects must also take place in New Zealand and result in a reduction in the total greenhouse gas emissions that New Zealand reports in the greenhouse gas inventory.
There have been two contestable tender rounds for the PRE programme, the first in 2003 and the second in 2004. At this stage there will not be a third tender round.
Enhanced eco-verification
"Eco-verification" involves setting standards for the environmental impacts of products and processes, determining how to measure compliance with these standards, and then verifying and certifying that the standards have been met.
The enhanced eco-verification initiative aims to:
Research
The government has increased funding for climate change research, as previously mentioned in this publication. The annual investment round by the Foundation for Research Science and Technology includes $150 million to investigate how to promote sustainability and respond to climate change.
One new initiative includes research into wild animal control for emissions reduction ($1m) to see if by removing wild animals from regenerating vegetation we can increase its carbon sink capacity.
