The Ministry for the Environment (MfE;

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

: ''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 Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

, in addition to the relevant environmental laws and standards. The

Environment Act 1986 The Environment Act 1986 of New Zealand established the Ministry for the Environment and the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. References About the Environment Act 1986 Statutes of New Zealand Urban planning in ...

is the statute that establishes the Ministry.

Description

Functions assigned by Section 31 of the

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 In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. 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 A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

. 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

*
sustainability.govt.nz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry For The Environment (New Zealand)

Environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

Environment of New Zealand