Dear Ministry for the Environment,
Kia ora,

Further to my earlier request (25‑OIAD‑00029), I wish to clarify and supplement the scope.

Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, as implemented in New Zealand through Marine Protection Rules Part 199, regulates atmospheric emissions from ships including sulphur oxides (Regulation 14), nitrogen oxides (Regulation 13), and particulate matter/volatile organic compounds (Regulation 15). These pollutants are recognised internationally as contributors to atmospheric chemistry, cloud formation, and climate forcing.

Accordingly, I request:

1. Any monitoring systems, datasets, or responsibilities the Ministry holds, or coordinates with other agencies, regarding ship emissions regulated under Annex VI (SOx, NOx, PM, VOCs) in New Zealand’s territorial waters (within 12 nautical miles) and Exclusive Economic Zone (12–200 nautical miles).
2. Any reports, datasets, or assessments that consider the potential impacts of ship emissions on atmospheric conditions, cloud formation, or weather/climate in New Zealand.
3. Any correspondence between the Ministry and other agencies (Maritime NZ, EPA, NIWA) between 1 January 2022 and 1 December 2025 that references Annex VI compliance and potential weather or climate impacts of ship emissions.

Please exclude purely administrative correspondence unless it contains substantive discussion of the above topics.

If any of the above categories of information are not held, please confirm this explicitly under section 18(e) of the Act. If information is withheld, please specify the precise section of the Act relied upon, as required under section 19.

Ngā mihi,
Nigel

Yours faithfully,

Nigel Gray