Hon David Benson-Pope
- 5/04/2007 - Good evening and welcome.
It's a pleasure to be here for the release
of this important document. An opportunity
if you like to us to see ourselves as others
see us.
Thank you to the representatives of the
OECD, Lorents Lorentsen, Director of the
OECD Environmental Directorate, and Dr Martha
Heitzmann, Principal Administrator, of the
OECD Environmental Directorate, who have
travelled from Paris to launch New Zealand’s
Environmental Performance Review.
The OECD review process is one that we
in New Zealand value highly and in which
we are pleased to take part.
In our scheme of things, local government
plays a critical role in environmental management,
so thanks to Basil Morrison, President of
Local Government New Zealand for attending
this evening.
I am delighted to see people from local
government, central government, business,
industry and NGOs here. This confirms the
role we share in managing the environment.
I attended the Review examination meeting
in Brussels last September and I am aware
that considerable time that has been put
into this process by many of you. I thank
you all for your efforts.
The review was not without its challenges,
which began for half the review team with
the presence of their luggage in a city
other than Brussels.
I am pleased to tell you that my Chief
Executives honour was saved by a borrowed
suit, courtesy of the Hawke’s Bay Regional
Council, and an effective if non-matching
Ministry for the Environment belt. Never
let anyone say that central and local government
do not work together in partnership.
The Environmental Performance Review involved
an in-depth process of peer review and is
an independent assessment of New Zealand’s
environmental performance, highlighting
our achievements and in its recommendations,
pushing for continued environmental improvement.
The launch of the OECD Environmental Performance
Review comes at a significant time for New
Zealand. The Prime Minister has put sustainability
at the heart of this government’s programme
for 2007. She is calling on New Zealanders
to aspire to be the first country to be
sustainable across the four pillars of environment,
economy, society and nationhood. The Prime
Minister has confirmed this government’s
commitment to sustainability and has highlighted
six priorities:
sustainable households
towards a carbon neutral public service
waste minimisation and management
business partnerships for sustainability
enhanced sustainable government procurement
enhanced eco-verification
The Review confirms that we are already
on our way to achieving these goals, and
shows how much we still need to do. Its
recommendations are welcomed and I am pleased
to say that there are actions underway to
meet many of them.
The Review identifies New Zealand’s strengths
and I would like to draw your attention
to just a few of these this evening.
The OECD has identified the progress that
New Zealand has made in strengthening the
management of our water resources. The proportion
of the population receiving drinking water
that fully complies with drinking water
guidelines has increased significantly,
and pollution of surface waters from point
source discharges has decreased due to improved
management through the resource consent
process.
The focus is now on managing diffuse pollution.
For example, in Taupo where I recently delivered
a cheque for $40 million, central and local
government are working in partnership to
protect the quality of the water in iconic
Lake Taupo. I commend Environment Waikato
for taking action by proposing to cap nitrogen
levels in the lake and to reduce manageable
discharges in the lake’s catchment by 20
per cent over 15 years.
It’s also important to note that the Government
is very clear on its position and approach
to water - that is, that water is a public
resource which the government and local
authorities will continue to manage on behalf
of all New Zealanders. We want to ensure
that every New Zealander has fair and equal
access to water. We also want to ensure
that economic growth occurs in a sustainable
way, with our environment protected.
The OECD has acknowledged and praised the
value we place on our protected areas and
conservation lands. Over 32 per cent of
New Zealand’s land area and 7.5 percent
of our territorial sea is protected – this
is more than twice the OECD average. There
has also been a substantial increase in
the area of private land protected under
covenant agreements. And since 1998, review
of land tenure arrangements in the South
Island high-country has added 105 square
kilometres to public conservation lands
and waters.
The Review also identifies opportunities
to improve our environmental performance
and sustainability. This evening, I want
to focus on three of these.
First, the international environmental
challenge of climate change. As the threat
of climate change becomes more apparent,
it is becoming increasingly urgent that
we take collective, coordinated action.
The OECD has recommended that New Zealand
define and implement measures to reduce
net greenhouse gas emissions, prioritising
those that also meet other environmental
objectives. Consultation is nearing completion
on five discussion documents which present
policy options for managing climate change
and energy.
New Zealand is in an internationally unique
situation in that 50 per cent of our greenhouse
gas emissions relate to agricultural activity,
primarily the raising of stock on pastoral
land. This is a major challenge for us when
we look at reducing our greenhouse gas emissions
and one that our rural sector and their
representatives have sadly yet to face up
to.
We should be encouraged though by the international
leadership shown by New Zealand on research
into reducing agricultural emissions. The
Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium
programme aims to reduce emissions by developing
safe, cost-effective greenhouse gas reduction
technologies to lower total New Zealand
ruminant methane and nitrous oxide emissions
by at least 20 per cent by 2012.
The OECD has made several recommendations
which focus on the use of economic instruments
and regulation to further decouple environmental
impacts from economic growth. This is a
key objective for sustainability. New Zealand
is currently at a crossroad in terms of
greater use of economic instruments.
Options currently being explored include
the introduction of an emissions trading
scheme, a greenhouse gas charge and emission
reduction agreements. Climate change is
an area where economic instruments may help
New Zealand to become more sustainable.
But it is not a case of one size fits all
and economic instruments are not going to
be appropriate for managing all environmental
issues.
The second recommendation I want to mention
is for New Zealand to strengthen recycling
and recovery of waste. Waste management
is an issue that has risen on the environmental
agenda in recent years. It is this government’s
intention to accelerate efforts to protect
New Zealand’s clean and green image. Cutting
down on waste and finding better ways to
dispose of it are vital to our work to make
New Zealand fully sustainable.
I am encouraged by the great progress we
have seen in the uptake of community recycling.
At present, 97 per cent of New Zealand has
access to community recycling and 73 per
cent has access to kerbside recycling. Many
communities, themselves, have also taken
the initiative to minimise waste and improve
resource recovery. One example is the resource
recovery plant recently established in Palmerston
North. Built on an old landfill site, the
plant includes a domestic recycling facility,
a composting plant for green and food waste,
a glass crushing facility and a business
and education centre to support best practice
in waste minimisation.
I look forward to making further progress
in cutting down the amount of plastic waste
that goes to landfills and increasing the
range of plastics that are recycled. I have
already asked local government to consider
a much more consistent and coordinated approach
to recovery and recycling in particular.
But we need to do more. If New Zealand
is to address sustainability, we must not
only focus on recycling but also on reducing
the amount of waste we create. The Waste
Minimisation (Solids) Bill currently under
consideration proposes actions to support
waste reduction including provision for
waste levies, setting targets for reducing
waste in landfills and cleanfills, and providing
for product stewardship programmes.
A third recommendation I will focus on
is that we strengthen environmental monitoring
and national reporting of key environmental
indicators. The Ministry for the Environment
is working with reporting partners in central
and local government to produce New Zealand’s
second state of the environment report –
Environment New Zealand 2007. It will use
a set of indicators to present a national
picture of the state of New Zealand’s environment.
The report will provide a baseline for monitoring
progress.
New Zealand’s approach to environmental
management has enabled significant achievements
since the last performance review in 1996.
New Zealand’s approach to environmental
management is one of partnership and co-operation
between local and central government, industry
and business. This is one of our key strengths,
one that puts New Zealand in a positive
position, not only for managing our environment
but also for addressing sustainability.
Being a small country, relationships are
important to New Zealanders. We engage well
at a community or local level, working with
people we know to address and manage the
issues that relate directly to us.
Similarly, in this local or regional context,
a voluntary and educative approach to environmental
management works well better than a centrally
regulated approach. This approach is not
common to the OECD. The Dairying and Clean
Streams Accord is an example of the success
of this approach. The voluntary Accord has
led to significant changes in land management
targets for the exclusion of stock from
streams and the bridging of streams have
been exceeded, and the use of fertiliser
is starting to decrease because of better
nutrient management, and I welcome the much
more focussed action by regional authorities
to ensure compliance with consent conditions.
A further example is the Business Partnerships
for Sustainability programme. Business has
a big contribution to make to improving
New Zealand's overall sustainability. Industry
has the opportunity to cash in on the commercial
opportunities which international interest
in sustainability creates. The Programme
involves working with stakeholders to ensure
that business has good advice on how to
achieve greater sustainability. Already,
a successful series of seminars has been
held, showing businesses how sound environmental
practices can be seen as a competitive advantage.
This fits in with New Zealand’s broader
goal of economic transformation. As a country
we need to build a sustainable economy based
on high quality, high value products.
A partnership approach is also necessary
to achieve this government’s vision for
sustainable households. The Household Sustainability
Campaign focuses on practical ways in which
New Zealanders can make their households
more sustainable. It will highlight concrete
actions people can take to improve energy
efficiency and reduce waste. This programme
will also have positive co-benefits for
reducing the impacts of climate change.
Once again, thank you all for attending
and thank you to the OECD for its comprehensive
review of New Zealand’s environmental performance
and its recommendations. I am sure there
will be considerable interest in the Review
and it provides a valuable reference point
for the future. I think we should all be
encouraged by New Zealand’s environmental
performance over the last 10 years and look
forward to the next review. I am greatly
encouraged that the shift in public attitudes
and the crumbling of political resistance
to matters environmental will enable us
to move further and faster that I would
have anticipated even 6 months ago
It's now my considerable pleasure to invite
Basil Morrison, President of Local Government
New Zealand to speak on behalf of local
government.
+ More
OECD report confirms NZ is on path to sustainability
Hon David Benson-Pope - 5/04/2007 - An
independent international report indicates
that New Zealand is on the way to become
a sustainable nation, says Environment Minister
David Benson-Pope.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD)’s Environmental Performance
Review for New Zealand was released today.
The Review finds that the Government's
efforts to limit pollution, to protect nature
and biodiversity, and to make economic development
more environmentally sustainable have resulted
in clear improvements.
“The launch of this review is timely and
provides additional impetus to this government’s
aspiration to be the first country to be
fully sustainable," said Mr Benson-Pope.
“The OECD says more work needs to be done
and I am pleased to say that work to fulfil
many of the Review's 38 recommendations
is already underway, and where we are unlikely
to fulfil the OECD recommendations, alternative
actions are in place."
The environmental strengths identified
by the OECD include New Zealand’s management
of water resources and the value placed
on its protected areas and conservation
lands. Over 32 per cent of New Zealand’s
land area and 7.5 per cent of territorial
sea is protected – more than twice the OECD
average.
"I am also pleased that the Review
has identified our partnership approach
to environmental management, linking local
and central government, industry, business
and communities, as being key to our significant
achievements.
"Key initiatives like the Clean Streams
Accord, the Business Partnerships for Sustainability
programme and the Household Sustainability
Campaign are based on a co-ordinated, partnership
approach to improving our overall sustainability.
"The Review is very encouraging but
Government acknowledges that much more needs
to be done before we can lay claim to being
the first country to be sustainable across
the four pillars of environment, economy,
society and nationhood.
"In particular we are already focussing
on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving
recycling and cutting waste, and strengthening
environmental monitoring and the national
reporting of key environmental indicators,
such as the state of the environment report
to be released later this year."
A summary and copies of the OECD Review
are available from: http://www.oecd.org/
