20 March 2026
26-OIAD-00428
Nigel Gray
[FYI request #33794 email] Tēnā koe Nigel,
Thank you for your email of 21 February 2026 requesting the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) of the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry):
I am seeking any information held by the Ministry for the Environment relating to sulphur
dioxide emissions from shipping, their conversion into sulphate aerosols, their role as cloud
condensation nuclei, and any resulting impacts on rainfall acidity, cloud formation, rainfall
intensity, or acid deposition (commonly referred to as acid rain) within New Zealand’s coastal
or inland regions.
Please provide the following:
1. Monitoring, Modelling, and Data
Any monitoring data, modelling, assessments, or environmental measurements held by the
Ministry relating to:
•
sulphur dioxide emissions from ships
•
conversion of sulphur dioxide into sulphate aerosols
•
formation of cloud condensation nuclei from sulphur compounds
•
impacts on cloud formation, cloud density, or rainfall intensity
•
rainfall acidity or acid deposition linked to maritime emissions
2. Internal or External Scientific Advice
Any internal or external reports, briefings, memos, scientific advice, or commissioned
research relating to:
•
environmental impacts of sulphur dioxide or sulphate aerosols from ship exhaust
•
effects on soil chemistry, vegetation health, freshwater ecosystems, or coastal
environments
•
any assessment of acid rain or acid deposition in New Zealand
3. Policy and Regulatory Considerations
Any documents, advice, or correspondence relating to whether sulphur dioxide emissions
from shipping are considered within:
•
New Zealand’s air‑
quality standards
•
national environmental reporting frameworks
•
maritime emissions policy settings
•
climate or atmospheric monitoring programmes
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
1
4. Inter‑
Agency Correspondence
Any correspondence between the Ministry for the Environment and:
•
Maritime New Zealand
•
NIWA
•
Ministry of Transport
•
Environmental Protection Authority
relating to sulphur dioxide emissions, sulphate aerosol formation, cloud condensation nuclei,
cloud‑
seeding effects, rainfall acidity, or acid deposition.
5. Identified Gaps or Limitations
Any documents that identify gaps, limitations, or uncertainties in New Zealand’s monitoring,
modelling, or regulatory oversight of sulphur dioxide emissions from shipping.
I am writing to notify you that the Ministry is extending the timeframe for its response to your
request under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as consultations necessary to make a decision
on the request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the
original timeframe.
We wil now respond to your request on, if not before, 7 April 2026, which is an extension of
10 working days.
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 at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Please note that due to the public interest in our work, the Ministry publishes responses to
requests for official information shortly after the response has been sent on our website at:
https://environment.govt.nz/about-us/official-information-act-requests/. If you have any
queries about this, please feel free to contact our Ministerial Services team at:
[email address]. Yours sincerely
Lachlan Brown Team Leader, Ministerial Services
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
