The Climate Change Response Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament passed by the

New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...

. The Climate Change Response Act 2002 created a legal framework for New Zealand to ratify the

Kyoto Protocol The was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is oc ...

and to meet obligations under the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. It is an international treaty among countries to combat "dangerous human interference with th ...

. It sets out powers for the Minister of Finance to manage New Zealand's holdings of

Assigned amount units An assigned amount unit was a tradable "Kyoto unit" or "carbon credit" representing an allowance to emit greenhouse gases comprising "one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, calculated using global warming potentials". Assigned amount units w ...

and to trade Kyoto-compliant emission units (carbon credits) on the international market. It establishes a registry to record holdings and transfers of emission units. It establishes a national inventory agency to record and report

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

. The legislative purposes of the Climate Change Response Act 2002 are; *to develop and implement clear and stable climate change policies that contribute to the global effort under the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels; and to adapt to the effects of climate change. * to enable New Zealand to meet its obligations under the

and the

, and, * to provide for the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme for greenhouse gases that reduces net emissions below business-as-usual levels. The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 established the

Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the List of New Zealand governments, government of New Zealand from 10 December 1999 to 19 November 2008. New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party leader Helen Clark negotiated a coalition with Jim A ...

's version of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme in September 2008. Part 4 of the Climate Change Response Act sets out the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. On 8 May 2019, the Government introduced the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill to Parliament. The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill received

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

on 13 November 2019.

References

External links

The Climate Change Response Act 2002
Statutes of New Zealand Climate change in New Zealand Environmental law in New Zealand 2002 in New Zealand law 2002 in the environment {{NewZealand-law-stub Climate change law Environmental legislation

See also

References

External links