21 October 2022
Ministerial Services
45 Pipitea St, Thorndon
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Website: www
.dia.govt.nz
A J Sheppard
[FYI request #20348 email]
Dear A J Sheppard
Request for information (OIA 2223-0255)
Thank you for your request for information received by the Department of Internal Affairs (the
Department) on 23 September 2022 as a transfer from the Office of the Prime Minister. You
requested the following information under the Official Information Act (the Act):
I request the following information in relation to your ministerial services portfolio.
1. I request the information sent to "toitu envirocare" used to calculate carbon credit
offsets for ministerial air travel. Please supply information for individual mps/ministers
per year from 2017 when labour took office.
2. Are carbon offsets used for ALL air travel including comercial flights, the use of the
RNZAF boeing 737 and various helicopter flights etc?. If not then please clarify air travel
in which carbon offsets are used.
3. What is the total cost per year for carbon offsets for ministerial air travel? Please
supply details for each year as far back as its held for this.
4. What is the total cost for consultant fees/ advice etc paid to "toitu envirocare" to
calculate ministerial carbon offsets for air travel? Please supply details as far back as its
held for this
Response to your request
1. I request the information sent to "toitu envirocare" used to calculate carbon credit offsets
for ministerial air travel. Please supply information for individual mps/ministers per year from
2017 when labour took office.
Ministerial Services at the Department has responsibility to process and administer the
payment and expenses related to air travel taken by Ministers. As part of the administration
process, an aggregate total travelled by air, in kilometres, is sent to Toitu Envirocare on a
quarterly basis to calculate carbon credit offsets. The kilometres travelled is not broken down
into each Minister’s usage. Therefore, we cannot provide you with a breakdown for each
Minister and your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act that the document alleged
to contain the information does not exist.
However, information relating to Ministers’ expenses, including travel expenses, can be found
on the Department’s website. This information is updated on a quarterly basis and earlier
disclosures of Ministers’ travel expenses date back to 2009. The link can be found here at
Ministers expense releases - dia.govt.nz
Information in relation to air travel for Members of Parliament (MP), other than those who
are Members of the Executive, is administered by Parliamentary Service. The Department
therefore does not hold the requested information and this part of your request is refused
under section 18(e) of the Act as the document alleged to contain the information does not
exist.
2. Are carbon offsets used for ALL air travel including comercial flights, the use of the RNZAF
boeing 737 and various helicopter flights etc?. If not then please clarify air travel in which
carbon offsets are used.
The use of a RNZAF Boeing 737 by Ministers is not administered by the Department, we are
therefore unable to comment on carbon offsets in the use of the aircraft. If you would like
information with regards to a RNZAF Boeing 737 you may wish to contact the New Zealand
Defence Force.
Ministerial air travel where carbon offsets are calculated is for flights with Air New Zealand
and its Star Alliance Partners, which accounted for an average of 98 percent of total Ministerial
air travel over the last five years.
The Department may on occasion fund non-scheduled charter/helicopter flights, where these
are necessary to transport Ministers and/or Guests of Government for a specific purpose.
However, we do not collect information to enable us to offset carbon emissions for these
flights. The individual operators however, may have a policy to do so. Where any such
transport costs are incurred by a Minister, they will be disclosed in the relevant Minister’s
expense release.
3. What is the total cost per year for carbon offsets for ministerial air travel? Please supply
details for each year as far back as its held for this.
The below table represents annual Ministerial air travel carbon emissions and the fees and
costs associated with carbon offsets.
Page 2 of 3
Financial
Offset
Cost
Administration
GST
Total
Year
(tonnes of
Charged
Fee (Toitu
Invoice
CO2-e
Envirocare)
Amount
equivalent)
2017/18
1,357
$33,925
$6,785
$6,106
$46,816
2018/19
1,702
$48,786
$8,510
$8,594
$65,890
2019/20
1,489
$37,375
$7,445
$6,723
$51,543
2020/21
659
$13,260
$3,295
$2,483
$19,038
2021/22
966
$24,150
$4,830
$4,347
$33,327
Review and compilation of carbon offset costs for previous years would require a significant
amount of time and personnel resource in excess of reasonable expectation. This is due to the
Department’s upgrades to the Finance Systems required over time. Therefore, this part of
your request has been refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.
4. What is the total cost for consultant fees/ advice etc paid to "toitu envirocare" to calculate
ministerial carbon offsets for air travel? Please supply details as far back as its held for this
Please refer to the above table for the administration fees paid to Toitu Envirocare for the last
five financial years.
Details of the Department’s involvement in the Carbon Neutral Government Programme will
be incorporated in the 2021/2022 Annual Report which will be published on the Department’s
website on 27 October 2022.
The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua -
dia.govt.nz
Further information on
Ministerial travel can be found in th
e Cabinet Manual which is publicly
available on the website of th
e Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
We intend to publish this OIA response o
n www.dia.govt.nz (with your personal details having
been removed). Publishing responses to OIA requests increase the availability of information
to the public and is consistent with the purpose of the Act to enable effective participation in
the making and administration of laws and policies, and to promote the accountability of
Ministers and officials.
If you have any concerns with the information in this response, you have a right to request an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. Information on
how to do this is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Briget Ridden
General Manager – Ministerial Services
Te Haumi – Enterprise Partnerships
Te Tari Taiwhenua – The Department of Internal Affairs
Page 3 of 3
