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December 2020This report surveyed international frameworks, identified important lessons for outcome-based environmental management, and helps clarify what setting environmental limits and targets will require. Read more -
December 2020This report translates the planetary boundaries framework to show New Zealand’s global environmental connections and quantifies where our country sits in terms of operating within environmentally safe boundaries. Read more -
October 2020This report assesses the suitability of using New Zealand Rural Fire Authority’s Fire Danger Rating System as an indicator on wildfire risk for the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ’s environmental reporting. Read more -
October 2020This report describes the climate datasets that were supplied by NIWA for use in Our atmosphere and climate 2020, and outlines the methodologies used to generate them. Read more -
August 2020This technical report provides further detail on the risk assessment findings of New Zealand's first national climate change risk assessment. It includes profiles of all the risks, opportunities and knowledge gaps identified. Read more -
August 2020This report documents the methodology used in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment and the associated engagement. It supports organisations to carry out their own national, local and regional risk assessments. Read more -
August 2020This report presents the findings of New Zealand’s first National Climate Change Risk Assessment. It gives a national picture of the risks New Zealand faces from climate change to help prioritise action. Read more -
May 2020This report scopes the potential development of a land-use intensity indicator for environmental reporting. Read more -
April 2020This modelling report from Energy Link provides a range of possible new values for the electricity allocation factor using different parameters, scenarios and modelling methodologies. Read more -
January 2020This report presents the results of our work to identify a range of possible options to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand, as well as the potential scale and estimated costs of each option. Read more -
December 2019This report reviews the 2011 electricity allocation factor modelling approach and identifies several potential issues. Read more -
December 2019The Ministry for the Environment commissioned NZIER to interpret and provide commentary on the Concept Consulting report, High level review of approaches for estimating a standard electricity allocation factor. Read more -
November 2019This report by Scientia Consulting estimates the actual EAF in the wholesale electricity market over 2016 and 2017 using actual and counterfactual (not NZ ETS costs) spot prices. Read more -
November 2019This report by Concept Consulting compared input values used in the previous modelling of the EAF against reality. It found that if actual values had been used the EAF would be lower than its current level. Read more -
November 2019This report from Energy Link recommends a range of parameters and values for the proposed EAF modelling. Read more -
September 2019This report prepared by MRCagney informs work on understanding and measuring the wider costs and benefits of urban development under the Urban Growth Agenda. Read more -
August 2019This report sets out the Government’s response to the Productivity Commission’s Low Emissions Economy report. The Productivity Commission made 77 recommendations on how to transition to a low emissions economy, which the Government responds to in detail in this report. Read more -
August 2019This Beca report presents a review and analysis of the main urban zoning provisions within district plans for selected ‘high-growth’ councils. Read more -
May 2019This report by NZIER is the second stage of its Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling of the economic impacts of meeting different 2050 emissions targets. Read more -
May 2019This document is a peer review of NZIER's report Economic impact of meeting 2050 emissions targets: Stage 2 modelling by Dr Niven Winchester. Read more -
May 2019The Productivity Commission and the Ministry for the Environment contracted a consortium of organisations (‘CMV’) with experience in modelling and the economics of climate change mitigation to undertake modelling of New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions economy. The modelling examines pathways from the present to the two 2050 emissions reduction targets. Read more -
May 2019This report gives a high-level overview of the ‘social good’ benefits associated with electrifying process heat and reducing coal use. Read more -
September 2018This report, prepared for the Ministry for the Environment by NIWA, examines the potential impacts of climate change on hydrological conditions at 20 river mouths around the country. Read more -
August 2018This report investigates the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in New Zealand and projects demand for HFCs to 2030. Read more -
August 2018This guide explains how the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) is designed and how it operates (a snapshot as at August 2018). Read more -
June 2018This report synthesises the series of economic analyses: modelling and other supporting economic studies, and their different strengths and weaknesses, to assess the economic impacts of target options and the wider impacts of stronger climate action. Read more -
Emissions pricing impact on innovation and competitiveness: A review of the international literatureJune 2018This report reviews the international literature regarding the impact of emissions pricing on the innovation and competitiveness of industries. Read more -
June 2018The transition to a low-emissions economy will bring many costs and benefits. This report analyses the available evidence on the co-benefits (eg, health, congestion) of possible policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand. Read more -
June 2018The bottom-up modelling approach taken in this report sets out the pathways for the transition and how decision-making impacts economic activity and greenhouse gas emissions under uncertain future states of the world. Read more -
June 2018In this report, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) uses a dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to explore the economic impacts of transitioning to targets and a lower-emissions future, and examines how the economy changes in response to the imposition of various targets. Read more -
June 2018This report by Sense Partners examines data and analyses on the ability of New Zealand businesses and sectors to innovate and compete in a world of uneven emissions prices. Read more -
May 2018This report is the second and final report prepared by the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group. It provides recommendations for the actions New Zealand needs to take to build resilience to the effects of climate change while growing the economy sustainably. Read more -
April 2018This report, prepared by consultancy Mōhio, examines climate finance in New Zealand. It includes a snapshot of key existing climate finance flows and a look at the instruments available to the Government and private sector such as grants, debt and bonds. Read more -
March 2018The Ministry for the Environment commissioned Covec to explore options for market oversight of the Emissions Trading Scheme. This report addresses whether there is a need for regulation of the market in a similar way to regulation of financial markets, to address potential or existing problems. Read more -
March 2018The Ministry for the Environment commissioned Sapere to analyse the current information provision in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. The report offers recommendations on what, how and when information needs to be provided to the market to improve its efficiency. Read more -
December 2017This report by the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group summarises the expected impacts of climate change on New Zealand over the medium and long term, takes stock of existing work on adaptation, and identifies gaps in New Zealand’s current approach. Read more -
December 2017This research identifies international and domestic trends and best practice for urban growth management strategies and recommends what guidance could be developed for councils to assist them to meet policies PC12, PC13 and PC14 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity. Read more -
October 2017This report describes the rainfall indices and datasets used in the measure of rainfall intensity in the Environmental indicators Te taiao Aotearoa series. Read more -
October 2017This report describes the methodology used to calculate wind gust indices used in the measure of Extreme wind in the Environmental indicators Te taiao Aotearoa series. Read more -
October 2017This report describes and outlines the methodologies used to generate, the updated datasets acquired from NIWA for Our atmosphere and climate 2017. Read more -
October 2017This report details the methodologies underlying updated estimates of glacier ice volume change in New Zealand. The estimates were used in the measure of Annual glacier ice volumes in the Environmental indicators Te taiao Aotearoa series. Read more -
July 2017This report is the first in a series commissioned to better understand the effect of climate change and related policies on Māori and iwi. Read more -
May 2017The Ministry for the Environment commissioned CRL Energy to provide information and calculations of HFC consumption, the import minus the export of bulk HFCs, in New Zealand. This assessment includes historical information and New Zealand’s phase down steps under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Read more -
October 2016A comprehensive draft version of this report informed evidence and monitoring policies in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS-UDC) and the implementation programme. It has assisted in determining which indicators would best provide useful information, and what monitoring would be practical in terms of data availability, frequency, capabilities and costs. Read more -
September 2016The scoping project for reporting on 'te ao Maori' identified national high priority areas, suggested how these priority areas could be measured and whether or not the data is currently available. Read more -
July 2016This report provides information about the way nine ‘high growth’ councils in New Zealand estimate demand for housing and business land, and how they measure the development capacity available to meet that demand. Read more -
June 2016This report presents the findings of research into the sufficient supply of business land in urban areas experiencing the highest population growth in New Zealand. Where issues where identified the research looked at whether the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity would address those issues. Read more -
June 2016This paper looks at planning practices for providing development capacity for housing and business needs in the United Kingdom (UK) and two Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales. Read more -
April 2016This paper presents the findings of the Ministry's analysis of how New Zealand’s 2030 climate change target compares to other countries’ targets and the goal of limiting temperature rise below 2°C. Read more -
March 2016This report priorities suggested improvements to enhance and expand air domain reporting. Read more