About the Ministry for the Environment

Hei kaitohutohu matua o Aotearoa mō te taiao me te āhuarangi, ka whakaahei mātou i ō tātou iwi me ō tātou wāhi ki te puāwai, ināianei, hei te anamata hoki.  

As Aotearoa New Zealand’s lead advisor on the environment and climate, we enable people and places to thrive, now and in the future.  

The Ministry for the Environment was established under the Environment Act 1986. Its purpose is to advise the Government on all matters concerning New Zealand’s built and natural environments. This includes:

• climate and natural hazards
• natural and physical resources
• wider ecosystems,
• the economic, social and cultural factors that matter to current and future generations.  

We provide advice, tools and options for decision-makers to achieve their objectives and implement government decisions. The Environment Act requires that our advice takes a full and balanced account of:   

• intrinsic values of ecosystems
• values people place on the environment
• principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
• sustainability of natural and physical resources
• needs of future generations.

We are the stewards of the regulatory systems for environmental management and climate change. We advise on how these systems will support decision-making that contributes to environmental and climate outcomes now and in the future.  

We produce environmental reports, including independent reports required by the Environmental Reporting Act 2015. These make science, data and evidence accessible to all New Zealanders. They empower individuals, households, communities and businesses to make informed decisions about their choices and the impact they may have on the environment and climate.  

Our work is informed by evidence including science, data and place-based knowledge (including mātauranga), and insights from our relationships with local government, businesses, communities and the Crown’s Treaty partners. It is these groups that make an impact on the ground.   

We have a role in integrating the environmental and climate systems, working closely with other government agencies to deliver on the Government’s priorities and work programmes.  

Our functions are set out in the Environment Act and include: 

• advising the Minister on:
  • policies for managing natural and physical resources
  • significant environmental impacts of proposals
  • ways of ensuring effective provision for public participation in environmental planning and policy processes
• obtaining information and doing research to inform the advice on environmental policies
• advising the Government, its agencies and other public authorities on:
  • the application, operation and effectiveness of specified legislation to achieve the objectives of the Environment Act
  • procedures for assessing and monitoring environmental impacts
  • controlling and managing pollution
  • identifying natural hazards and reducing their effects
  • the control of hazardous substances
• promoting environmental policies and education. 

We have responsibilities under several Acts. These include administering the: 

• Climate Change Response Act 2002,  
• Resource Management Act 1991,  
• Environmental Reporting Act 2015,  
• Waste Minimisation Act 2008, and  
• a range of Treaty settlement acts.  

Climate Change Response Act 

We lead the development and implementation of emissions reduction plans and national adaptation plans, advise the Minister on setting emissions budgets, targets and the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, and maintain the Greenhouse Gas Inventory.  

Resource Management Act  

Our role includes supporting the Minister in their functions, duties and powers, including developing national direction, monitoring and intervening in matters of national significance, and directing plan preparation or changes. We also advise local authorities and monitor their implementation of the resource management system.  

Environmental Reporting Act 

We, in partnership with Stats NZ, provide independent national data and reporting on the state of and outlook for New Zealand’s natural and built environments. 

Waste Minimisation Act 

We administer the waste levy and manage the Waste Minimisation Fund and Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund. We also undertake compliance monitoring and enforcement. 

Regulatory Stewardship 

An important part of our regulatory stewardship is working with other agencies, Treaty partners and other participants to understand the implications of proposed changes, and to monitor and review legislation and regulations to ensure they remain fit for purpose.  

See Regulatory Stewardship for more information.

We are the monitoring agency for:

• the Environmental Protection Authority
• the Climate Change Commission. 

We provide independent advice on how these Crown entities are carrying out their responsibilities. 

The Ministry is also the host department for the Climate Change Chief Executives Board, which: 

• provides strategic, cross-agency advice on the Government’s climate change programme, in the context of broader government priorities 
• monitors and reports on the delivery of actions in New Zealand’s emissions reduction plan and national adaptation plan. 

The Board is chaired by the Secretary for the Environment and comprises eight chief executives from across central government.