Table D1: Summary of policies and measures by sector

Energy

Sustainable energy work programme/National Energy Strategy

To incorporate sustainable development principles in energy policy decision-making and ensure that New Zealand's energy system can meet present and future challenges, particularly climate change and peak oil.

CO₂

Policy development

Under implementation

Whole of Government

National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy

To encourage, promote, and support energy efficiency, energy conservation, and the use of renewable sources of energy.

CO₂

Policy development

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Business sector programmes: "Emprove"

To help high-energy-use businesses achieve savings in their energy expenditure.

CO₂

Information / Fiscal

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Residential sector programmes: Building regulations

To target the building regulatory process to deliver energy-efficient outcomes in New Zealand's building stock.

CO₂

Regulatory

Planned

Department of Building and Housing, with input from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Residential sector programmes: EnergyWise home grants

To improve the energy efficiency of pre-1977 homes occupied by low-income families.

CO₂

Fiscal

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Energy supply and renewables programmes: Renewable energy to the grid

To ensure that more electricity generated for the grid or fed into local distribution networks is sourced from renewable energy.

CO₂

Information

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Energy supply and renewables programmes: Market development of renewable energy

To increase the sustainability of New Zealand's energy supply by increasing the contribution of renewable energy derived from small-scale energy technologies.

CO₂

Fiscal / Research

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Energy supply and renewables programmes: Demand response

To significantly improve the responsiveness of medium-sized electricity users to the spot market.

CO₂

Information / Education

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Cross-sectoral programmes: Energy efficiency of products

1. To implement minimum energy performance standards and labelling.

CO₂

Regulatory

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

2. To implement Energy Star, a voluntary endorsement / labelling scheme for home appliances, office products and domestic refrigerators.

CO₂

Voluntary / Information

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Transport

New Zealand Transport Strategy

To recognise all modes and users of transport and to respond directly to the broader social, economic, and environmental needs of the country.

CO₂

Policy development

Under implementation

Ministry of Transport

National Rail Strategy

To achieve an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable transport system.

CO₂

Regulatory

Adopted

Ministry of Transport

Air Quality Programme

To improve air quality by introducing mandatory fuel standards and improving the quality of the vehicle fleet.

CO₂

Regulatory

Under implementation

Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Economic Development

Renewable Transport Fuels Programme

To increase production and availability of bio-ethanol/petrol blends and biodiesel.

CO₂

Regulatory

Considered

Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Economic Development

Information on Vehicle Fuel-Efficiency Programme

To encourage the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles by providing appropriate consumer purchasing information.

CO₂

Information

Planned

Ministry of Transport

Surface Transport Costs and Charges Programme

To assist the Government to make decisions on the relative competitive position of road and rail for freight transport and of rail, bus and the private car for passenger transport.

CO₂

Information

Completed

Ministry of Transport

Travel Demand Management Programme

To encourage people to use forms of transport involving less energy and reduce their present dependency on the single passenger car.

CO₂

Voluntary

Under implementation

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Industry

Sulphur hexafluoride

To improve the management of sulphur hexafluoride emissions.

SF₆

Voluntary/negotiated agreements

Under implementation

Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues on behalf of the Government, and state-owned generators and transmission companies

No-loss campaign

To improve the management of fluorocarbon refrigerants.

HFC

PFC

Voluntary / Educational

Under implementation

Refrigeration industry bodies

Agriculture

Research into improvement of the agricultural sector national greenhouse gas inventory

To systematically reduce uncertainties and improve the estimates of agricultural methane and nitrous oxide national inventory estimates.

CH₄

N₂O

Research

Completed

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Pastoral Agriculture GHG Mitigation Research Programme

To identify, establish and develop on-farm technologies which lower methane emissions from ruminants and nitrous oxide from grazing animal systems.

CH₄

N₂O

Voluntary / Research

Under implementation

Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium

(via the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology).

Waste

National Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy

To reduce the volume of organic waste being produced through better resource use, and design for re-use.

CH₄

Voluntary

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment.

National environmental standard for landfill methane

To increase the use of methane recovery systems at larger landfills.

CH₄

Regulatory

Considered

Regional and local councils, with support from the Ministry for the Environment.

Forestry

Permanent Forest Sinks Initiative

To allow landowners the opportunity to access the value, created under the Kyoto Protocol, of carbon from newly established permanent forest sinks

CO₂

Voluntary/Contractual arrangement between landowners and the Crown.

Being Considered

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

East Coast Forestry Project

To facilitate the afforestation of 120,000 of eroding and erodable land in the East Coast region of the North Island over the 28 year period to 2020.

CO₂

Voluntary/Fiscal

Under implementation

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Cross-sectoral

Energy-intensive businesses

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy use by small and medium enterprises on a cost-effective basis.

CO₂

Information / Education / Fiscal

Under implementation / Planned

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Projects to Reduce Emissions

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting projects that provide emission reductions in the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period beyond the reductions that would have occurred without the project.

CO₂

Economic

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment

Local government

Partnership with Local Government New Zealand

Establish and maintain regular communication channels between central and local government on climate change matters.

CO₂

CH₄

Information

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment and Local Government New Zealand

Communities for Climate ProtectionTM - New Zealand

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, encouraging sustainable transportation, enhancing urban design, and promoting sustainable farming practices.

CO₂

CH₄

Information

Under implementation

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives Australia/New Zealand

Adaptation

To provide clarification on expected future climate change effects; practical tools to assist councils; and models in the form of case studies.

N/A

Adaptation

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment

Legislative amendment to the Resource Management Act

To provide for nationally consistent decision-making with respect to managing greenhouse gas emissions.

All GHG

Regulatory

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

Bilateral Partnerships

United States-New Zealand

To maximise United States-New Zealand business, research, and policy cooperation on climate change.

CO₂

CH₄

N₂O

Information / Research

Under implementation

Ministry for the Environment / the United States Department of State

Australia-New Zealand

To maximise Australia-New Zealand business, research, and policy cooperation on climate change.

CO₂

CH₄

SF₆

Information / Research

Under implementation

The Ministry for the Environment / Australian Greenhouse Office