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Trade Links

INFO 426
September 2009

Welcome

Welcome to the third Trade Links newsletter from the Ministry for the Environment's International team. The purpose of Trade Links is to provide information about the Ministry's international trade and cooperation activities to those of you involved or interested in global environmental cooperation.

This newsletter has information about current trade negotiations, cooperation activities and international progress in this area.

In this issue:

Previous Issues

The first two issues of Trade Links included information about current trade negotiations, cooperation activities and international progress in this area. They also provided information on trade and environment and introduced the Ministry’s international team.

Active agreements

New Zealand has a number of free trade agreements that include parallel arrangements for countries to work together on broader environmental matters.

These arrangements (in the form of Environmental Cooperation Agreements) provide a platform for New Zealand to engage with our trade partners in ways that recognise the close connections between trade and the environment. Achieving environmental sustainability can underpin the future prosperity of New Zealand and our partner countries.

New Zealand currently has environment agreements or arrangements with:

Negotiations

New Zealand has a busy year ahead of negotiations.

In late May, New Zealand concluded negotiations for a New Zealand-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA). This also resulted in New Zealand’s fifth successfully negotiated side instrument on cooperation on trade and environment.

In the week of 4 May negotiations resumed, in Wellington, for the New Zealand-Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership (CEP). Hong Kong and New Zealand will undertake a second round of resumed negotiations in early July. At that time New Zealand will undertake negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Cooperation in the context of the New Zealand-Hong Kong CEP. In June, New Zealand was also able to meet with Hong Kong environment officials in Hong Kong to further their understanding of what environment cooperation arrangements with New Zealand mean in practice.

In the second week of June negotiations commenced in Seoul for a New Zealand and South Korea FTA. These negotiations are groundbreaking for New Zealand in that these represent the first time New Zealand will negotiate a full environment chapter in a FTA.

In late May, New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) undertook a fifth round of negotiations for the NZ-GCC FTA. The GCC is opposed to environment provisions in the FTA but is amenable to New Zealand approaching Member States individually to negotiate bilateral agreements. The Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade are continuing to explore this option.

New Zealand met with Indonesia in December 2008 to conclude negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Cooperation in the context of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia-NZ FTA. A final result depends on the outcome of negotiations in other parts of the FTA. In the second half of 2009, we expect New Zealand and India to commence negotiations for an India-New Zealand FTA.

New Zealand expects to include provisions on trade and environment. Negotiations with the United States, Australia, Peru and Vietnam to expand the current P4 agreement to a Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) are not expected to begin until the United States completes a trade policy review and Congress approves the negotiations. In addition to New Zealand, the current P4 members are Chile, Singapore and Brunei.

Cooperation activities

The Ministry has had a busy few months engaging in cooperative activities with our current evironment cooperation agreement partners (China, Thailand and Chile)

China

In April 2009, Chinese Vice Minister Zhang and a delegation from The People's Republic of China’s Ministry for Environmental Protection (MEP) visited New Zealand. During the visit, the Vice Minister and his delegation learned about New Zealand's environmental issues, science and governance arrangements and met key people in all these areas. The Vice Minister's responsibilities relate to pollution and enforcement in China. He was therefore particularly interested in New Zealand experiences and responses to issues such as pollution control, waste water treatment in rural areas, lake pollution, remediation of contaminated land and enforcement.

Lindsay Gow, the Ministry for the Environment's Deputy Secretary and Adrian Macey, New Zealand's Climate Change Ambassador visited Beijing in mid June to discuss possible cooperation projects with MEP and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The Rt Hon Simon Upton, former Minister for the Environment, visited China in late June to present two lectures on New Zealand’s experiences with environmental management. The lectures were given to the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP) and to the Center for City Development and Environment at the China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). CELAP provides training to China’s top-level and intermediate government officials, senior personnel from civil society groups and business executives. CASS’ work focuses on climate change issues, particularly as they relate to urban areas.

Thailand

Cooperation between Thailand and New Zealand under the two countries’ environment cooperation agreement is becomingly increasingly active in a wide range of areas, involving two visits earlier in the year and two workshops mid year.

Biofuels

An official from Thailand’s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency participated in the New Zealand Biofuels and Electric Vehicles conference in March 2009. Thailand has several years of expeience in the biofuels sector, and it is an area of increasing interest under the environment arrangement.

Water management visit to Thailand

In late February, officials from the Ministry visited Thailand to identify areas of interest for future water issues cooperation between Thailand and New Zealand. Areas of potential interest identified in this visit include governance, pollution control, community engagement and catchment modeling.

Diary and Environment visits

The Thai Department of Livestock Development (DLD) hosted an MFE official for a dairy and environment field visit in February . This followed a dairy study visit to New Zealand by DLD officials in January which was hosted by MAF.

Workshops

At the end of June MfE held a Climate Policy & Adaptation workshop for officials from the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation and Regional Directors of the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The workshop covered a range national, regional, community and business initiatives. Areas of particular interest included MAF's sustainable forestry policy, carbon zero labelling and eco-design of houses and development in the Kapiti District.

A Vehicle Emission & Air Quality Workshop is being held in Auckland at the end of July 2009. With the Ministry’s support, the workshop will bring together experts in transport policy and air quality from New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei. It is being co-hosted by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

Chile

New Zealand and Chile are developing strong linkages in the areas of energy and environment. This includes cooperation on renewable energy, in particular geothermal energy, and cooperation on energy efficiency. The Ministry recently provided support for a New Zealand expert on energy efficiency to participate in the APEC peer review of Chile’s energy efficiency policies and programmes.

In the course of the review, Chilean officials gave positive feedback on New Zealand’s energy efficiency policies and programmes. In May 2009, New Zealand was invited to attend and present at an international conservation workshop in Chile on marine protected areas. New Zealand’s experience in marine protected areas, particularly the Fiordland Guardian Experience is highly regarded by Chile. The Ministry supported the attendance of a representative from NIWA.

Enviroschools NZ cooperative work in Chile is continuing to raise New Zealand’s profile in the areas of environment and education. It has gained well deserved praise for its work . In May 2009, the Director of Enviroschools NZ was invited to Chile to share New Zealand’s Enviroschools experience and explore opportunities for New Zealand to support the development of international environmental education services.

Chile, Singapore and Brunei

Having been in operation for some years now the Trans-Pacific Environment Cooperation Agreement has developed a substantial and active programme of cooperation, through the active and committed engagement of the four parties. Cooperation programmes currently underway include geothermal energy, environmental education, carbon footprint monitoring, conservation management, air quality management and waste minimisation.

Contacting us

We welcome your comments and queries, and encourage you to pass this on to others with an interest in Environmental Cooperation activities.

To contact us please call 439 7572 or email: trade.environment@mfe.govt.nz

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