About the Ministry for the Environment
Our mission
Our mission is environmental stewardship for a prosperous New Zealand – tiakina te taiao kia tōnui a Aotearoa.
You can find out more about how we are working to fulfil this mission in our:
Our role
The environment supports New Zealand’s economy through our use of natural resources. At the same time, the health of the environment is affected by the way every New Zealander behaves.
The Ministry is the Government's principal adviser on the environment in New Zealand and on international matters that affect the environment.
As the Ministry for the Environment is not involved in day-to-day environmental management, we focus on providing:
- environmental management systems, including laws, regulations and national environmental standards
- national direction through national policy statements and strategies
- guidance and training on best practice
- information about the health of the environment.
Our work
The outcomes we are working towards are that:
- New Zealand becomes a successful low-carbon society that is resilient to climate change impacts on its climate, economy and lifestyle
- New Zealand’s fresh water is well governed and sustainably managed to realise the maximum benefit possible for present and future environmental, cultural, social and economic values
- New Zealand’s environmental management systems are strengthened and supported so that they can achieve the greatest overall environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits
Find more about our work priorities
Our legislative environment
The Ministry was established under the Environment Act 1986. We also have specific functions under the:
- Resource Management Act 1991
- Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
- Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996
- Climate Change Response Act 2002
- Waste Minimisation Act 2008
In addition to our policy advice and implementation activities, we:
- administer government funding for grants under the Community Environment Fund
- administer the Environmental Legal Assistance Fund
- administer the Crown Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund
- administer the Fresh Start for Fresh Water Clean-Up Fund and Crown funding to help protect Lake Taupo and Rotorua lakes
- administer the waste levy and Waste Minimisation Fund
- monitor, on behalf of the Minister, the performance of the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) on behalf of the Minister Environmental Protection Authority which administers applications for major infrastructure projects of national significance; regulates new organisms; hazardous substances and chemicals; and administers the Emissions Trading Scheme and New Zealand Emission Unit Register.
More information
You can find out more about the Ministry and our work on the following pages.
- The context in which we work
- Working at the Ministry and current vacancies
- Responsible ministers
- Other New Zealand agencies with environmental interests
- The Natural Resources Sector
Last updated: 26 March 2010
