Role of central government in adapting to climate change

Central government sets the direction so that New Zealand’s people, environmental, economy and national infrastructure, are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Central government:

• provides the legislative and policy framework
• provides information and guidance to support local government and businesses to make effective adaptation decisions
• funds research and publishes information on climate change impacts
• prepares for and responds to major natural hazard events. 

Legislative and policy framework

1. Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 [New Zealand Legislation website]

The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 requires New Zealand to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects of climate change through:

• six-yearly national climate change risk assessments produced by the Climate Change Commission (with the first one produced by Government)
• national adaptation plans produced by the Government, the implementation of which will be monitored by the Climate Change Commission
• an adaptation reporting power for the Government and the Climate Change Commission to use to seek information about how organisations are identifying climate risks and preparing to adapt.

2. Resource Management Act 1991

All people exercising duties and functions under the RMA are required to have particular regard to the effects of climate change and this is undertaken as part of wider natural hazards management.

One of the changes introduced by the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 is that “the management of significant risks from natural hazards” is a new matter of national importance in section 6 of the RMA.

The Resources Management Review Panel included a number of proposals intended to deliver a system that better addresses climate change. For more information about how the government is reforming the resource management.

3. Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002 [New Zealand Legislation website]

This Act creates a framework for New Zealand to prepare for, deal with, and recover from local, regional and national emergencies.

4. National disaster resilience strategy [Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management website]

The strategy sets out what New Zealanders expect from civil defence emergency management and what we want to achieve.

5. Draft New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy [Te Waihanga website]

6. National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management

The NPS-FM provides national policy direction to regional councils on freshwater management and requires regional councils to have regard to the reasonably foreseeable impacts of climate change. 

7. New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 [Department of Conservation website]

The NZ CPS includes specific policies for the management of coastal hazards and requires consideration of the effects of climate change.

Central government provides information and guidance on climate change effects that are most likely to have a significant impact at a regional, national or sector level. This is so local government, engineers, businesses and individuals have access to the information they need in order to adapt. The Ministry for the Environment coordinates the central government adaptation programme.

Resources include:

• Guidance for local government on preparing for climate change
• the Climate Cloud website, a digital library targeted at the land-based sector. Its purpose is to help managers understand and respond to challenges and opportunities of climate change
• Our atmosphere and climate
• Department of Conservation climate change adaption action plan [PDF, 560.4 KB] [Department of Conservation website]
• Heat health plans - Guidance and key information [Ministry of Health website]

Central government is spending approximately $100 million over 10 years on research and projects relating to adapting to climate change. This research will assist local councils, businesses, individuals and communities to identify impacts and implement effective adaptation solutions.

Research initiatives include:

• Climate changes, impacts and implications project [Climate Changes Impacts & Implications website]

A project to update and improve projections of climate trends, variability and extremes across New Zealand out to 2100

• Natural hazards research platform [Natural Hazards Research Platform website]

The purpose of this initiative is to increase New Zealand's resilience to natural hazards through high quality collaborative research.

• Coastal adaptation to climate change project [NIWA website]

NIWA is developing guidelines and advice to help coastal communities adapt to climate change.

• The Deep South [National Science Challenges website]

Understanding the role of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean in determining our climate and our future environment, to enable New Zealanders to adapt, manage risk and thrive in a changing climate.

• Resilience to Nature's Challenges [National Science Challenges website]

Enhancing New Zealand's ability to anticipate, adapt and thrive in the face of ever-changing natural hazards.