Submission under the Paris Agreement New Zealand’s first Nationally Determined Contribution Updated 4 November 2021.

The Submission under the Paris Agreement New Zealand’s first Nationally Determined Contribution Updated 4 November 2021 aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to 50 per cent below gross 2005 levels by 2030. This responsibility target is economy-wide covering all sectors: Energy; Industrial processes and product use; Agriculture Forestry and other land use; and Waste, and all greenhouse gases.
New Zealand has implemented, and planning to implement, a number of policies and institutional arrangements (including legislation and regulations) to meet its domestic and international climate goals, including its NDC. The Climate Change Response Act provides a framework by which New Zealand can develop and implement climate change policies. It achieves this purpose by enshrining in legislation four elements: 1) A domestic emissions reduction target for 2050; 2) A system of emissions budgets and emission reduction plans; 3) A Climate Change Commission; 4) Adaptation measures. The Climate Change Response Act (CCRA) also recognises the Government’s responsibility to give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The CCRA requires emissions reduction plans to include a strategy to recognise and mitigate the impacts on Māori, and that Māori are consulted on these plans. New Zealand’s primary sector exports base, gross emissions are dominated by the agriculture and energy sectors, which together comprise approximately 90 per cent of gross emissions. New Zealand has high levels of renewable energy use, primarily hydro-generation. Continued development of geothermal and wind generation has seen the amount of electricity generated from these sources more than triple over the last two decades. Other actions include. Actions are taken to reduce coal usage. New Zealand will continue to account for deforestation emissions, as per the Kyoto Protocol. Forests established before the activity start year will continue to be accounted for under a business-as-usual reference level, as per the Kyoto Protocol. This approach addresses the dynamic effects of the forest age class structure resulting from historical activities and practices, and the ongoing cycles of forest harvest and regrowth that occur as part of normal, sustainable forest management in production forests. Accounting for harvested wood products will be based on the production approach.