Questions and Answers about New Zealand’s Fifth National Communication under the UNFCCC
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What is the Fifth National Communication and why has it been produced?
National Communications are a snapshot of a Party’s progress towards meeting its commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (the Convention). National communications are required under Article 4.1 and 12 of the Convention.
What is in the Fifth National Communication?
The Fifth National Communication includes information about our climate change efforts on: mitigation policies; adaptation policies; climate change research; contribution to the global climate observation system; communication, training and public awareness work; and financial and technological support given to developing countries. The report must also include projections of emissions out to 2020. The structure and content of the report is governed by reporting guidelines agreed to under the Convention.
Do all countries produce a national communication?
Yes, but there are different requirements for Annex 1 or developed countries and non-Annex I Parties. Annex 1 Parties (including the USA) produce a national communication every 4-5 years whereas non-Annex I Parties have less stringent reporting and review requirements. Annex 1 Parties are required to submit their 5th national communication by January 1, 2010. Of the 150 non-Annex I Parties one hundred and thirty-six of them have submitted their initial national communications, twelve their second national communications and one their third national communication.
When did New Zealand produce its first national communication and is it available?
New Zealand submitted its first national communication in 1994. The report is available on the Ministry for the Environment website at http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/new-zealand-response/. New Zealand’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th national communications are also on the Ministry for the Environment website. All reports are also available on the Convention website at www.unfccc.int.
When will the 6th national communication be produced?
National Communications are published every 4-5 years. The actual date depends on what is negotiated. It is expected the 6th National Communication would be required January 1, 2014.
Is the national communication internationally reviewed?
Each national communication of an Annex I Party is subject to an "in-depth" review. The in-depth review is conducted by an international team of experts, coordinated by UNFCCC secretariat. The review typically involves a desk-based study and an in-country visit, and aims to provide a comprehensive, technical assessment of a Party's implementation of its commitments. The review results in a review report, which typically expands on and updates the national communication. Review reports are published on the website of the Convention at http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/idr_reports/items/4056.php
Where can I find other countries national communications?
You can find all previously submitted national communications on the website of the Convention. The link is http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/items/3625.php
What is the Report on the Global Climate Observing System and why has it been submitted with the Fifth National Communication?
The Report on the Global Climate Observing System is required to be submitted to the Convention secretariat alongside the National Communication. It provides information on New Zealand’s archive of systematic atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial observations of climate-related parameters. This report is made in accordance with Convention reporting guidelines. It is produced as a stand-alone report but is published in the same volume as the Fifth National Communication.
Who produced the report?
The Fifth National Communication was produced by the Ministry for the Environment, with the help of many other government departments and agencies.
What are the major differences between the Fourth and the Fifth National Communications?
The Fifth National Communication includes several major policies that were not included in the Fourth National Communication:
- The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme
- The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural emissions
- The Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Plan of Action.
The Fifth National Communication also includes the latest information on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions trends, and updated projections of emissions to 2020.
A Report on Demonstrable Progress under the Kyoto Protocol was included with the Fourth National Communication in 2006. Why hasn’t one been included with the Fifth National Communication?
The Report on Demonstrable Progress was required to be submitted with the Fourth National Communication. When the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, it included a requirement that demonstrable progress be made by 2005 (Article 3.2). The Report on Demonstrable Progress was produced to measure progress against parties’ commitments under the Kyoto Protocol in 2005. This is not a requirement of the Fifth or future National Communications.
The fifth national communication is also New Zealand’s second communication under the Kyoto Protocol.
What are the conclusions in the report about New Zealand’s ability to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets?
The report does not specifically provide projections of emissions over the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. It provides projections of emissions in 2010, 2015 and 2020. The latest report on how New Zealand is tracking to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitment is New Zealand’s Net Position Report 2009. In April 2009 it reported that New Zealand was projected to have a surplus of 9.6 million units over the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The Net Position Report 2009 can be found at http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/net-position-report-2009/index.html
When will more updated information be available on New Zealand’s liability during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol?
The Ministry for the Environment updates New Zealand’s net position under the Kyoto Protocol every year. The next net position report is due out in April 2010.
What information is provided in the Fifth National Communication on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions beyond the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol?
The first commitment period of the Kyoto protocol runs from 2008 to 2012. The Fifth National Communication includes projections of New Zealand’s emissions in 2010, 2015 and 2020, and presents graphs of projected emission trends out to 2020.
Does the Fifth National Communication show New Zealand can meet its 2020 target?
New Zealand’s medium-term responsibility target is a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by 2020. A ‘responsibility target’ means it is expected New Zealand will meet its target through a mixture of domestic emission reductions, the storage of carbon in forests, and the purchase of emission reduction units in other countries. The 2020 target is conditional on the level of global ambition agreed to at international negotiations and on international rules relating to land use, land-use change and forestry, and recourse to carbon markets for compliance. The Fifth National Communication shows projections of emissions and removals but does not project what means New Zealand will use to meet the responsibility target.
What is New Zealand doing to assist developing countries cope with climate change, especially in the Pacific?
In 2001 New Zealand joined the European Union, Canada, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland in making a voluntary commitment to increase financial assistance to developing countries to support climate change action. Between 2005 and 2008 New Zealand’s share of this voluntary commitment has been NZ$5 million per year. More information on New Zealand’s support for developing countries is set out in chapter 7 of the Fifth National Communication.
Why do the reports contain different sets of data on net removals by sinks in the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector?
The Fifth National Communication is a report on our progress under the Convention. Under the Convention, emissions and removals from all forests, and from deforestation are reported. This is different from the subset of reporting (and accounting) under the Kyoto Protocol.
Under the Kyoto Protocol only emissions and removals from forests established after 1989 on non-forest land are reported. These forests are sometimes referred to as Kyoto Forests. Emissions from deforestation of all forests are also reported as are the emissions associated with harvesting Kyoto Forests. For the accounting rules under the Kyoto Protocol, harvesting emissions of Kyoto Forests are capped at the level of carbon stored in the harvested forests during the commitment period.
Consistent with Convention reporting guidelines, the projections of emissions and removals from forestry in the Fifth National Communication include forests planted both before and after 1 January 1990. Projections of emissions and removals under the Kyoto Protocol have been included as well for comparison.
Last updated: 23 December 2009
