Our sustainability

Read our 2026-2028 sustainability strategy (PDF 376 KB)

Our 2026–2028 Sustainability Strategy sets out the Ministry’s shorter-term targets and longer-term goals for organisational sustainability.

The Strategy is responsive to change, and we will make interim updates when needed.

About our sustainability strategy

Sustainability at the Ministry means working within our budgets, reducing our environmental impact, and supporting our people. We focus on practical actions that support emissions reduction, responsible resource use, and organisational accountability.

We have set clear ambitions and measures in three areas:

• tāngata – our people
• taiao – our environment
• pūtea – our finances.

You can find progress updates in our annual reports, under ‘Our Performance’.

Our targets align with the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP). They are grounded in international climate science and the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

We achieved our 2025 target on 30 June 2025.

• 2025 target: Reduce operational emissions by 35 percent from our 2017/18 base year.
• 2030 target: Reduce operational emissions by 50 percent from our 2017/18 base year.

Operational emissions are the emissions from running the Ministry’s own operations, including our offices and energy use, work travel and waste.

Each year we measure and independently verify our emissions, as required by the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP), and publish the results in our annual reports.

We achieved many successes over the 2024/25 financial year. 

Highlights include: 

• we reduced our operational emissions by almost sixty percent from our 2017/18 base year. In 2024/25, the Ministry’s greenhouse gas emissions were 551.69 tCO2e, a 57.8 percent reduction from our 2017/18 base year level of 1,312.57 tCO2e
• we achieved our 2025 emissions reduction target and remained on track for our 2030 target
• our carbon emissions were independently verified for the eighth consecutive year
• we integrated carbon budgets into annual planning and quarterly reviews
• we made monthly emissions reporting available to staff and leaders
• we updated travel policies and guidance to support emissions-conscious choices
• we continued to apply sustainability principles to procurement and office relocations
• we improved emissions reporting, including dashboards 
• we progressed work to include additional emissions sources (artificial intelligence, e-waste, working from home, and staff commuting)
• we reviewed emissions data since the base year to identify trends and priority interventions
• we identified waste to landfill as a priority area for future reduction.

Tracking our performance against our targets

The Ministry for the Environment’s annual emissions reduction performance, 2017/18 to 2024/25

We achieved our 2025 emissions reduction target on 30 June 2025 and remain on track to meet our 2030 gross emissions reduction target.

Travel was our largest source of emissions in 2024/25 and made up about 90 percent of our total emissions. Domestic air travel was the biggest contributor, followed by international air travel.

International travel emissions were lower than in our 2017/18 base year. They vary year to year depending on business needs, including attendance at international events to represent national interests.

Emissions from electricity used for remote working increased compared with last year. We include remote working electricity use to better reflect our overall emissions profile. The increase was linked to fewer office spaces and changes in how we work.

We used less electricity overall, but the emissions impact was higher because the national electricity emissions factor increased. Our total electricity use in kilowatt-hours continues to reduce.

Waste to landfill is a priority area. We will focus on waste minimisation interventions and have strengthened our ambition in our sustainability strategy.

We prioritise air travel for organisational emissions reductions, because it remains our largest source of emissions. Since 2017/18 we have reduced air travel emissions substantially. This has reduced emissions and costs.

Domestic travel is influenced by our flexible-by-default workforce model. Staff work from locations across New Zealand. This increases the need for regional travel by air and ground. Our travel policy and emissions budgets guide when travel is necessary. We monitor travel demand and choices to meet business needs while reducing emissions.

We also invest and promote virtual collaboration tools to reduce travel where possible.

Reducing our transport emissions

We have made a conscious effort to reduce our travel emissions. To support further reductions, we have:

• improved video conferencing and guidance to help manage travel to head office
• strengthened accountability reporting against emissions and financial travel budgets
• encouraged lower-emissions travel between airports and offices, including using local airport buses instead of taxis
• made it easier for staff to claim public transport, mileage and ride‑share costs, alongside the taxi voucher option
• worked with suppliers to improve access to low-emissions rental vehicles

Our climate-related disclosure explains how climate change could affect the Ministry’s operations, strategy and financial planning. It uses the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework.

Our climate-related disclosure 2022/23

Read the Ministry’s third climate-related disclosure 2022/23

In 2022/23, severe weather events reinforced the need to reduce emissions and plan for climate impacts on day-to-day operations. The disclosure outlines the key risks we identified and what they could mean for the Ministry’s future ability to keep operating during disruption.

The disclosure is structured around the TCFD themes:

• governance
• strategy
• risk management
• metrics and targets

Updates

Our most recent climate-related disclosure covers 2022/23. Following organisational changes after 2022/23, we have not produced a further climate-related disclosure.

We continue to report publicly through our annual reporting, including emissions reporting required under the CNGP.

Our previous climate-related disclosures

Ministry for the Environment’s climate-related disclosure 2021/22

Ministry for the Environment’s climate-related disclosure 2020/21

Sustainability reporting in annual reports

For information about our sustainability performance, see the sustainability sections of our annual reports:

• Annual report 2024/25 – pages 65–72
• Annual report 2023/24 – pages 75–79
• Annual report 2022/23 – pages 94–99
• Annual report 2021/22 – pages 29–32
• Annual report 2020/21 – pages 22-25
• Annual report 2019/20– pages 22-25
• Annual report 2018/19 – pages 14-15*

*Disclosure: In 2025, emissions data for 2017 to 2022 were restated after audit revisions, with guidance from Toitū. The updated figures replace those in the 2023/24 annual report and are final.

Emissions certifications

As part of our sustainability strategy and to meet Carbon Neutral Government Programme requirements, we measure, reduce and report on our organisational emissions, and have them independently verified.

We have measured and reported our emissions since 2018 and have maintained Toitū carbonreduce certification for eight consecutive years.

Emissions certification summaries

View our emissions certification summaries: 

• Summary of Toitū carbonreduce certification 2024/25 [PDF, 277 KB]
• Summary of Toitū carbonreduce certification 2023/24 [PDF, 230 KB]
• Summary of Toitū carbonreduce certification 2022/23 [PDF, 372 KB]
• Summary of Toitū carbonreduce certification 2021/22 [PDF, 780 KB]
• Summary of Toitū carbonreduce certification 2020/21 [PDF, 411 KB]