National Adaptation framework
The Framework sets out the Government's approach to the growing risks from climate change.
Adaptation means strengthening our ability to cope with risks from natural events like floods or storms.
Climate change is making severe weather events like these more frequent and more intense.
The Government has developed a National Adaptation Framework to help reduce and manage the growing risks we face, in a way that minimises the overall long-term cost to society.
The National Adaptation Framework is the Government’s long-term, strategic approach to help New Zealand prepare for, and respond to, the impacts of climate change.
The Framework is built around four pillars:
- Risk and response information sharing
- Roles and responsibilities
- Investment in risk reduction
- Cost-sharing pre- and post-event.
The Government has announced 16 initial actions which build on these pillars to form the foundations for the Framework.
The actions bring together new and existing work that support resilience to climate change. The actions span across adaptation and other areas such as resource management, emergency management, and local government.
The Framework responds to the recommendations from the adaptation Independent Reference Group, released earlier this year.
Further decisions will follow as the Government continues to develop and expand the Framework over time.
A key action in the Framework is amending the Climate Change Response Act 2002 to clarify requirements for local government by requiring adaptation plans in priority areas.
This legislation will work with the reformed resource management system, with decision-makers identifying priority locations for adaptation planning as part of developing their first spatial plan,subject to the Planning Act being passed.
The amendment Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament as soon as possible.
The National Flood Map will be New Zealand‘s first flood map that unifies national data with detailed local and regional information.
With access to information, people and businesses can plan ahead and make informed decisions and investments in response to these risks so that property, insurance and other markets can function well.
Work is underway on a first-generation map, expected to be released in 2027. The map will be improved and expanded on over time, as new science, data and technology become available.
Standards New Zealand is developing two new nationwide standards to support hazard management and climate resilience. One is for modelling potential flooding, and one is for analysing risk.
These tools will each set out best practice, to support a consistent approach by councils nationwide.
They will be developed by a committee of experts appointed by Standards New Zealand, following an internationally recognised approach.
Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee conducted an inquiry to develop and recommend objectives and principles for the design of the adaptation framework in 2024.
The Committee published the report from its inquiry on 1 October, 2024.
Read the Inquiry into climate adaptation (PDF 2MB)
The Government released its response to the inquiry on 29 January, 2025.
Read the Government’s response to the Inquiry into Climate Adaptation [Parliament]
The inquiry covered:
- The nature of the climate adaptation problem New Zealand faces
- Investment and cost-sharing
- Roles and responsibilities
- Climate risk and response information-sharing.
The Committee received around 1000 public submissions and heard around 80 oral submissions. Submissions can be viewed on the Parliament webpage: Finance and Expenditure - New Zealand Parliament [Parliament]
Written submissions [Parliament] made to the Environment Committee's previous inquiry into climate adaptation were considered.
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has published a summary of the submissions made to the Environment Committee’s inquiry [Parliament].
The Government considered the Inquiry’s recommendations in developing the National Adaptation Framework.
We established an independent reference group to support development of policy advice for the adaptation framework,
The reference group was established to test policy ideas and help to explore the challenges under the current system experienced by Treaty partners, banks and insurers, local government and others.
The members of the group were:
- Matt Whineray (chair), former chief executive officer of Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation
- Marama Royal, chair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust
- Belinda Storey, economist and expert on pricing physical climate risk
- Malcolm Alexander, partner at Yule Alexander Limited and former chief executive of Local Government New Zealand
- Jimmy Higgins, chief executive officer of Suncorp New Zealand.
- Aileen Lawrie, chief executive of Thames Coromandel District Council.
- Rebekah Cain, chief sustainability officer at BNZ.
The Independent Reference Group published a final report outlining its recommendations for a new adaptation approach for New Zealand: A proposed approach for New Zealand's adaptation framework.
The group’s work concluded on 31 May 2025. The National Adaptation Framework responds to the recommendations of the Group.
The National Adaptation Framework complements New Zealand’s existing national adaptation plan and refocuses effort on the actions which need to be accelerated. The Framework is consistent with the priorities in the first national adaptation plan.
The 16 actions under the Framework will be incorporated into the next update of national adaptation plan actions.