Climate Change Commission

Most people read digital versions of our reports, but we still provide a few physical copies to Parliament – and we've now handed over our final reports for 2024! 🚲 These two reports are our advice on the fourth emissions budget, and our review of NZ's 2050 emissions reduction target (including whether it should include emissions from international shipping and aviation). These reports will be made public once they've been tabled in Parliament, and will be available soon. Once they've been released, you'll be able to find them on our website. [Image description: A smiling man sits in the passenger seat of a cargo bike at the front entrance of the Beehive on a brilliantly sunny day. The man holds a cardboard box of reports on his lap, and wears a white collared shirt and bright blue helmet.] #ClimateChange | #ClimateAction | #EmissionsReduction

We're seeking high-quality and credible evidence to help us understand the climate risks Aotearoa New Zealand faces, the consequences of those risks over time, and the actions that can and are being taken to address them. Help inform our work on the second national climate change risk assessment – share your evidence by 31 March 2025. Read more about the risk assessment and this call for evidence: https://lnkd.in/gRb3bA3u #CallForEvidence | #ClimateChange | #ClimateRisks | #ClimateAdaptation

COMING SOON: Our final reports for 2024 will soon be released – RSVP to hear more about advice on three things that will affect the country's policy, planning and investment decisions for the coming decades: 📘 Our review of the country’s 2050 emissions target, and whether it should include emissions from international shipping and aviation 📗 Advice on the fourth emissions budget (for the period 2036–2040) These reports are not yet public but will be released before this webinar. Once they have been published on our website we'll promote them widely, including posts here on social media and emails to people who have RSVP'd to this webinar – so if you'd like to receive an alert, make sure you're following our page, and remember to register on Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/g_fYfR-d #ClimateChange | #ClimateAction | #EmissionsReduction

Our latest annual report has just been released, and it sums up a significant period of delivery for the Commission over the last financial year – here's some of what we achieved: 📕 Provided advice to the Government on the second emissions reduction plan, highlighting key actions that could have the greatest impact on Aotearoa New Zealand's ability to meet its emissions reduction targets. 📉 Released our third annual advice on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS), helping to ensure it operates effectively and in line with the country's climate goals. 📗 Developed our first monitoring reports on #EmissionsReduction and #ClimateAdaptation, delivered in July and August 2024. 💬 Public consultation on our draft work on emissions targets and budgets, enabling us to test our thinking ahead of finalising our advice (which will be released before the end of 2024). Our latest annual report is available on our website: https://lnkd.in/gvSdMKAU You can find all of the work mentioned above (along with all our other reports) here: https://lnkd.in/gR8gwJjp

Our work as a Commission focuses on #ClimateAction here in Aotearoa New Zealand – but for an international perspective, check out the website of the International Climate Councils Network (ICCN) for a selection of reports from their members around the world: https://lnkd.in/eyP8n7Sk All ICCN members are climate councils, commissions and committees that have been officially mandated by their respective national governments as advisory bodies on climate policy. Their 20+ members include: Climate Change Authority (Australia) Canadian Climate Institute / Institut climatique du Canada Klimarådet (Denmark) European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (European Union) Haut conseil pour le climat (France) Loftslagsráð - Icelandic Climate Council (Iceland) Wetenschappelijke Klimaatraad (WKR) (Netherlands) Climate Change Commission Philippines Presidential Climate Commission (South Africa) Klimatpolitiska rådet - Swedish Climate Policy Council (Sweden) Climate Change Committee (United Kingdom) ...and us! 👋 Climate Change Commission (NZ)

We were blown away by the energy and thought-provoking kōrero from the UNICEF Aotearoa Young Ambassadors, who visited our Wellington office last week. Our chair Dr Rod Carr and Commission staff sat down with the UNICEF team to discuss a range of topics relating to climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand. This hui was a great opportunity to not only answer questions from the Young Ambassadors, but for us as a Commission to hear more about what rangatahi think, value, and prioritise in #ClimateAction. One of the overarching themes of the hui was featuring the voices and needs of everyday people in our work. The YAs challenged us to continue engaging with rangatahi and taking on board not just scientific evidence, but lived experience from communities across the motu. Our work has long-term impacts for all of Aotearoa New Zealand, and lived experience is an important type of information that feeds into our work alongside peer-reviewed research, mātauranga Māori, and many other sources of information. This hui highlighted the complex understanding and deep care that young people have when it comes to big issues like climate change and how they truly want to make a difference, despite the many barriers they face. Thank you again to the Angus, Clare and the YAs at UNICEF for coming to see us.

What would sea level rise mean for schools, marae, bridges, roads, fire stations, and airports around Aotearoa New Zealand?   A recent RNZ article (https://lnkd.in/dRvWbmMP) looked at analysis prepared by Urban Intelligence for the Commission’s first progress report on the government’s National Adaptation Plan, assessing the exposure and isolation risk faced by critical infrastructure, communities, properties and marae in Aotearoa New Zealand due to coastal flooding and landslides.   The report found that just 20cm of sea-level rise would expose these to risk of coastal flooding: 🏫 106 schools 🌉 Over 1,300 bridges 🚗 Over 2,000 km of roads 🏥 6 hospitals 🚒 15 fire stations 🛤️ 60 km of rail ✈️ 14 airports ⚡ 79 electricity transmission structures (like pylons) 🏘️ 37,200 properties, affecting over 69,000 residents   These are sobering numbers – and they’re only one part of the picture. These only relate to coastal flooding and landslides, and only 20cm of sea level rise. They don't include other kinds of flooding that will pose a bigger problem in some areas, and they don't reflect scenarios with higher sea level rise.   Effective climate adaptation planning, action and emergency response will look different in different contexts. Looking at exposure to climate-related hazards is just one piece of the puzzle. To get a full understanding of the challenges, it’s important to look at:   ♦️ The risk of isolation – properties being cut off from communities and essential services   ♦️ Factors that affect how likely people, households and communities are to experience harm from climate-related hazards   ♦️ Flow-on effects – cascading consequences that can have far-reaching impacts on communities, the natural environment, and the economy (for example, damage to electricity networks causing outages for other infrastructure like water supply and wastewater).     Read the article on RNZ: https://lnkd.in/dRvWbmMP   Explore the full Urban Intelligence report on our website: https://lnkd.in/dKwT4kAX     #ClimateChange | #ClimateAdaptation | #ClimateAction

Our latest report shows domestic emissions reductions can substantially contribute to NDC2 – as long as enough work is done this decade to reduce Aotearoa New Zealand's domestic emissions before 2031. #NationallyDeterminedContribution | #EmissionsReductions | #NDC2 | #ClimateChange | #ClimateAction

#NEW: Our latest report has just been released, looking at the domestic emissions reductions that Aotearoa New Zealand could achieve as part of the country's second nationally determined contribution (NDC2): https://lnkd.in/g4J-6XbT Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are how countries that have signed up to the Paris Agreement commit themselves to contributing to the global effort on climate change. Each NDC must be more ambitious than the previous one, so each country builds on the foundations it has already laid. NDC2 will set Aotearoa New Zealand's commitment for the years 2031–235. In June 2024 the Minister of Climate Change asked the Commission to provide advice focusing on the domestic contribution to the country's second NDC. International action (such as paying for emissions reduction overseas) is outside the scope of this request. Our overall finding is that domestic emissions reductions could make a substantial contribution to NDC2 – as long as further action to reduce Aotearoa New Zealand's domestic emissions starts before 2031. Such action would also position the country to deliver further emissions cuts beyond 2035, which could form part of future NDCs. Our report, alongside other data and government projections, will help inform the Government's decision in setting NDC2. The Government's decision is due in February 2025 at the latest. Explore our full report, supporting technical documents and terms of reference on our website: https://lnkd.in/g4J-6XbT #ClimateChange | #ClimateAction | #EmissionsReduction | #NDC2 | #ParisAgreement

#Opportunity: Can you provide leadership, engagement and strategic cultural advice to the Commission – ensuring we're well positioned to deliver on our responsibilities to support the Crown–Māori relationship, and to reflect te ao Māori and specific effects on iwi and Māori in our work? In this 0.5 FTE part time role, you'll be a critical member of our executive leadership team and an influential strategic adviser to the Chief Executive. The Chief Advisor Māori will build and maintain relationships with iwi, hapū and whānau and support the Chief Executive to ensure the voices of Māori are strong and heard in our advice on climate adaptation and emissions reduction. You'll work closely with our Chief Science Adviser to ensure our analytical systems and products are tika and pono, and delivered with regard to our commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as set out in the Climate Change Response Act.  You'll also support the Chief Executive to grow the Commission's cultural capability and support the executive leadership team to develop and implement a Te Tiriti o Waitangi statement, framework and action plan to support the Commission in meeting its commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Read more about this role and apply online: https://lnkd.in/ggMqq8v3 Applications close Wednesday, 13 November at 9am. #ClimateChange | #ClimateAction | #ClimateAdaptation | #ClimateJobs