The Ministry for the Environment (MfE; Māori: ''Manatū Mō Te Taiao'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the

New Zealand Government , background_color = #012169 , image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg , image_size=250px , date_established = , country = New Zealand , leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , appointed = Governor-General , main_organ = , ...

on policies and issues affecting the environment, in addition to the relevant environmental laws and standards. The Environment Act 1986 is the statute that establishes the Ministry.

Description

Functions assigned by Section 31 of the Environment Act 1986 include advising the Minister for the Environment on all aspects of environmental administration, obtaining and disseminating information, and generally providing advice on environmental matters. Since 1988, the Ministry of the Environment has coordinated New Zealand's interdepartmental policy response to climate change. The Environmental Protection Authority was set up in 2011 to carry out some of the environmental regulatory functions of the MfE as well as other government departments. The Ministry for the Environment administer a number of environmental funds: *Waste Minimisation Fund *Environmental Legal Assistance Fund *Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund It runs the Green Ribbon Awards, which have been given out by the Minister for the Environment since 1990. The Ministry owns the

Environmental Choice New Zealand Environmental Choice New Zealand (ECNZ) is the official ecolabel of New Zealand. The label is owned and endorsed by the Ministry for the Environment of the New Zealand Government. The Environmental Choice programme, which started in 1992, is adm ...

ecolabel Ecolabels (also "Eco-Labels") and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles us ...

, but it is administered independently by the New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust. In 1997 the Ministry released New Zealand's first

State of the Environment The term State of the Environment normally relates to an analysis of trends in the environment of a particular place. This analysis can encompass aspects such as water quality, air quality, land use, ecosystem health and function, along with social ...

report. This was followed up in 2008 by a second report titled ''Environment New Zealand 2007''. Chapter 13 of this report was removed before final publication but was leaked to the Green Party. After news media reported the existence of the omitted chapter, the Ministry placed the contents on its website.

Ministers

The Ministry serves two portfolios and four ministers.

List of Ministers for the Environment

;Key

Notes

References

External links