In this report the Commissioner examines the issue of agricultural greenhouse gases – methane and nitrous oxide – which together form about half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. This high proportion of emissions coming from agriculture is a major challenge for New Zealand. The science is complex and the policy debate is polarised.

This is a commentary by the Commissioner on Environment Aotearoa 2015 – the state of the environment report published last year by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand. The Commissioner’s commentary begins with a review of that report. It then presents the Commissioner’s take on the state of New Zealand’s environment and...

An investigation of what is causing climate change and one of its major impacts – the rising level of the sea. Introduction The level of the sea is constantly changing everywhere on Earth as tides rise and fall in predictable patterns. Both the timing and height of high tides are forecast accurately because they depend...

This report analyses the complex system of laws, agencies, and processes that regulate New Zealand's oil and gas industry. Introduction In part due to the technique of hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’, more wells are being drilled in Taranaki and the amount of gas and oil extracted in the region is rising. As in many other...