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This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'MoE - Any records mentioning scientists Ned Nikolov and/or Kari Zeller - Dec 2023 Follow Up'.

 
       OIAD-963 
 
Chris Johnston 
 
[FYI request #25313 email] 
 
 
Dear Chris Johnston 
 
Thank you for your email of 19 February 2024 requesting the following under the Official 
Information Act 1982 (the Act): 
Any document the MfE has that shows NZ experiences more than 0.04% (400ppm) 
of CO2 in its local atmosphere?  
Any information MfE has on the local % of the 0.04% CO2 that is caused by human 
activity?  
Any information MfE has on the lowest amount of CO2 in our atmosphere before 
plant growth stops?  
Total cost to the NZ economy of the focus on CO2 / Climate since the ETS was put 
in place by year  
Latest document that estimates the cost to the NZ govt to unwind/dissolve the ETS 
(or equivalent figure - eg value and volume of securities issued).  
Which govt department administers the ETS (if not MfE).  
How many MfE jobs relate to Climate/ETS/CCC work - please break down by 
division, and a separate breakdown by salary.  
What % of non-field staff and what % of non-field salary cost does the previous 
answer represent? Please provide the denominators as well.  
How many enquiries are received each year for the last 2 years regarding climate 
policies (OIA vs others)?  
Please provide a list of partners/suppliers/universities/etc MfE uses to review 
published climate papers and offer advice on climate/IPCC issues. Please provide 
the total spent excluding GST for each of the last 3 calendar years. Where it is hard 
to identify invoices, then please identify expenditure by climate focussed divisions 
with external parties. Where expenditure is with a university then please identify the 
school (eg Physics, Mathematics, Botany).  
Answers to your questions are outlined below.  
Any document the MfE has that shows NZ experiences more than 0.04% (400ppm) of 
CO2 in its local atmosphere?  
Any information MfE has on the local % of the 0.04% CO2 that is caused by human 
activity?  
Any information MfE has on the lowest amount of CO2 in our atmosphere before plant 
growth stops?  

The science of climate change is clearly explained in a number of peer-reviewed, publicly 
available papers, following the traditional and trusted scientific method. Hundreds of 
scientists and researchers from around the globe participate in the Intergovernmental Panel 
on Climate Change (IPCC) working groups, reviewing thousands of these papers. This is 
summarised in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, which provides a comprehensive 
summary of the state of scientific, technical, and socio-economic knowledge on climate 
change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. The Sixth 
Assessment Report is available at: Sixth Assessment Report — IPCC. 
A comprehensive explanation of human influence and activities can be found within the 
IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report on the Physical Basis of Climate Change Chapter 03 - 
Human Influence on the Climate System: ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/ 
IPCC AR6 WGI Chapter03.pdf   
Another explanation of human activities can be found within the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment 
Report on the Physical Basis of Climate Change Technical Summary, TS.1.2.4 - 
Understanding of Human Influence: ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC  
AR6 WGI TS.pdf   
CO2 measurements from NIWA’s atmospheric monitoring station at Baring Head can be 
found online at Daily CO2 measurements from NIWA’s atmospheric monitoring station at 
Baring Head | NIWA 
Total cost to the NZ economy of the focus on CO2 / Climate since the ETS was put in 
place - by year  
Both climate change itself and how New Zealand responds to the risks and opportunities it 
presents has material and fiscal implications. The Climate Economic and Fiscal Assessment 
presents available information on these implications and can be found online at 
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/climate-economic-fiscal-assessment/nga-korero-
ahuarangi-me-te-ohanga-2023  
 
Latest document that estimates the cost to the NZ govt to unwind/dissolve the ETS 
(or equivalent figure - eg value and volume of securities issued).  
 
The Ministry is not aware of any work undertaken to estimate this. Accordingly, this part of 
your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as the document requested does not 
exist.  
Which govt department administers the ETS (if not MfE) 
There are a number of government agencies involved in the New Zealand ETS. The 
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) manages the administration of the ETS. The 
Ministry is responsible for managing policy development of the ETS. The Ministry for Primary 
Industries administers the ETS for forestry. Further information about the administration of 
the ETS can be found on the EPA’s website at  https://www.epa.govt.nz/industry-
areas/emissions-trading-scheme/about-the-nzets/  
 
 
 


How many MfE jobs relate to Climate/ETS/CCC work - please break down by division, 
and a separate breakdown by salary.  
The Ministry will release this information to you, however, we have been unable to collate 
this information in the timeframe required for this response. We will provide this information 
to you without undue delay and no later than 28 March 2024. 
What % of non-field staff and what % of non-field salary cost does the previous 
answer represent? Please provide the denominators as well.  
As the government’s advisor on environmental matters, the Ministry is a policy agency and 
does not employ “field staff”. 
How many enquiries are received each year for the last 2 years regarding climate 
policies (OIA vs others)?  
The Ministry will release this information to you, however we have been unable to collate this 
information in the timeframe required for this response. We will provide this information to 
you without undue delay and no later than 28 March 2022. 
Please provide a list of partners/suppliers/universities/etc MfE uses to review 
published climate papers and offer advice on climate/IPCC issues. Please provide the 
total spent excluding GST for each of the last 3 calendar years. Where it is hard to 
identify invoices, then please identify expenditure by climate focussed divisions with 
external parties. Where expenditure is with a university then please identify the 
school (eg Physics, Mathematics, Botany).  
It is not the role of the Ministry to refute or advocate scientific papers. The Ministry accepts 
the knowledge of the global scientific consensus on climate change summarised by the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and uses this knowledge to inform 
policy decision making.  
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Office of the Ombudsman of 
my decisions relating to this request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The 
relevant details can be found on their website at: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.   
Please note that due to the public interest in our work the Ministry for the Environment 
publishes responses to requests for official information on our OIA responses page shortly 
after the response has been sent.  If you have any queries about this, please feel free to 
contact our Ministerial Services team: [email address]. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
Danielle Ryan 
Manager, Ministerial Services