Message from the Secretary for the Environment

By reducing greenhouse gas emissions while removing existing emissions from the atmosphere, we will achieve net-zero long-lived gases by 2050. Equally important, we will achieve a 24 to 47 per cent reduction in biogenic methane.

We must take bold action now to reach our goal for 2050. For the first time, the Government has set emissions budgets for the next 15 years, placing limits on the emissions that Aotearoa New Zealand can produce. This plan sets out how we will meet these budgets.

The plan updates our system settings – including emissions pricing, funding, research, science, innovation and technology – to ensure they support our climate change objectives. It also sets out detailed actions to reduce emissions in key sectors of our economy, including transport, energy and industry.

This emissions reduction plan emphasises nature-based solutions and the use of mātauranga Māori. It incorporates and reinforces the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It seeks to ensure that Aotearoa New Zealand’s transition to a low- emissions, sustainable economy is equitable and benefits everyone.

An Interdepartmental Executive Board will support implementation and coordination of the plan. The Board will provide strategic advice on how we’re tracking and where we need to adapt our approach. Manatū Mō Te Taiao Ministry for the Environment will lead the establishment of this Board and support coordination and delivery across the climate policy response.

Reducing emissions is vital for the future, but we’re already seeing some impacts of climate change that can’t be reversed, such as rising sea levels, more frequent flooding, erosion and drought. The Government recently released a draft national adaptation plan that sets out what we need to do to adapt, live and thrive in a different and changing climate.

There is a role for all of us in making this plan succeed, and the Government will work alongside our communities, businesses and the private sector, and all New Zealanders as we take action.

Together, Aotearoa New Zealand’s first national adaptation and emissions reduction plans set us firmly on the path to a low-emissions, climate-resilient country with clean air, water and transport; more stable weather; warmer homes; and new, sustainable opportunities for business and employment.

This will be a transformative journey for Aotearoa New Zealand, as we work together to implement this plan, reduce emissions and slow the pace of climate change.

Vicky Robertson
Secretary for the Environment