Minister for Climate Change (New Zealand)

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Minister of Climate Change
Coat of arms of New Zealand.svg
Flag of New Zealand.svg
Portrait.sgw.jpg
Incumbent
Simon Watts
since 27 November 2023
Ministry for the Environment
Style The Honourable
Member of
Reports to Prime Minister of New Zealand
Appointer Governor-General of New Zealand
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
PrecursorConvenor of Ministerial Group on Climate Change; Minister for Climate Change Issues; Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations
Formation14 August 2002
First holder Pete Hodgson
Salary$288,900 [1]
Website www.beehive.govt.nz

The Minister of Climate Change is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for climate change policy. The position was formally established in 2005 as Minister responsible for Climate Change Issues, but was preceded by the informal role of Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, which was held by the Minister of Energy Pete Hodgson.

Contents

The present Minister is Simon Watts. [2]

Responsibilities

The Minister of Climate Change has direct responsibility for the overall climate change policy direction at the domestic and international level. This includes responsibility for the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme under the Climate Change Response Act 2002 and for setting emissions budgets and preparing emissions reduction and national adaptation plans under the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019. [3]

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Minister is responsible for representing New Zealand in international negotiations on climate change. [3]

List of ministers

Minister of Climate Change

Key

   Labour    National    Green

No.NamePortraitTerm of OfficePrime Minister
As Convenor of Ministerial Group on Climate Change
1 Pete Hodgson Pete Hodgson XMediaLab 2008.jpg 14 August 200219 October 2005 Clark
As Minister responsible for Climate Change Issues
2 David Parker David Parker NZ.jpg 19 October 200521 March 2006 Clark
(1) Pete Hodgson
Acting [4]
Pete Hodgson XMediaLab 2008.jpg 21 March 20063 May 2006
(2) David Parker David Parker NZ.jpg 3 May 200619 November 2008
As Minister for Climate Change Issues
3 Nick Smith Nick Smith (cropped).jpg 19 November 200821 March 2012 Key
Craig Foss
Acting [5]
Craig Foss.jpg 21 March 20122 April 2012
4 Tim Groser Tim Groser.jpg 2 April 201214 December 2015
5 Paula Bennett Paula Bennett Official.png 14 December 201526 October 2017
English
As Minister of Climate Change
6 James Shaw James Shaw, 2014 (cropped).jpg 26 October 201727 November 2023 Ardern
Hipkins
7 Simon Watts Portrait.sgw.jpg 27 November 2023present Luxon

Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations

Separate ministerial responsibility for International Climate Change Negotiations was established under the Fifth National Government, first through an Associate Minister role and then as a full Minister. [6] The responsibilities associated with this portfolio were incorporated within the Climate Change Issues portfolio in 2012, after a brief period in which Tim Groser held both portfolios. At the time, Prime Minister John Key stated that the reason for the change in title was to address diplomatic misconceptions: "The reality is it partly in the sense that when he turns up at this meetings, people look at him and say `if you are the associate minister, where is the minister?' And of course when it comes to international negotiations, he is the minister." [7]

No.NamePortraitTitleTerm of OfficePrime
Minister
1 Tim Groser Tim Groser.jpg Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues (International Negotiations)24 November 200827 January 2010 Key
Minister Responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations27 January 20102 April 2012

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References

  1. "Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). Parliament.nz. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 Ministry for the Environment. "Summary of Ministers and Cabinet portfolios | Ministry for the Environment". www.mfe.govt.nz. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. "Parker quits all Cabinet posts". The New Zealand Herald. 21 March 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2008. David Parker has now quit from all his Cabinet posts [...] Today [Prime Minister Helen Clark] gave transport and responsibility for climate change policy to Health Minister Pete Hodgson [...] on an acting basis.
  5. Fowler, Peter (21 March 2012). "Craig Foss picks up climate change portfolio". NZ Herald. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  6. "Changes to Ministerial responsibilities announced". Beehive.govt.nz. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  7. "PM 'has confidence' in Tolley despite portfolio downsizing". NZ Herald. 26 January 2010. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 23 July 2020.