US - NZ Partnership on Climate Change

Bilateral international partnerships play an important part of the response to Climate Change for example collaboration on programmes and new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These partnerships are in addition to New Zealand’s participation in the multilateral agreement under the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

New Zealand has established a climate change partnership with the United States to enhance dialogue and practical cooperation on climate change issues. The partnership was launched on 25 October 2002 with the first projects for the partnership announced on 25 July 2003. The projects are in nine priority areas:

• climate change science;
• technology development;
• registries;
• agricultural emissions abatement;
• engagement with business;
• cooperation with developing countries;
• climate change research in Antarctica;
• public education initiatives; and
• product and process standards.

Since 2003 there have been regular meetings on the partnership held alternately in the United States and in New Zealand, providing the opportunity for face-to-face meetings between scientists from both countries, to update and develop new projects and to report on progress.