Minister of Climate Change

New Zealand minister of the Crown

Minister of Climate Change

Coat of arms of New Zealand

Flag of New Zealand

Incumbent
Simon Watts

since 27 November 2023

Ministry for the Environment
Style| The Honourable
Member of|

* Executive Council

Reports to| Prime Minister of New Zealand
Appointer| Governor-General of New Zealand
Term length| At His Majesty's pleasure
Precursor| Convenor of Ministerial Group on Climate Change; Minister for Climate Change Issues; Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations
Formation| 14 August 2002
First holder| Pete Hodgson
Salary| $288,900[1]
Website| beehive.govt.nz

The Minister of Climate Change is a minister in the New Zealand Government 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.

The present Minister is Simon Watts.[2]

## Responsibilities

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Minister of Climate Change

[edit]

Key

Labour National Green

No.  | Name  | Portrait  | Term of Office  | Prime Minister

|
|
|
|

As Convenor of Ministerial Group on Climate Change
| 1  | Pete Hodgson |  | 14 August 2002  | 19 October 2005  |  | Clark
As Minister responsible for Climate Change Issues
| 2  | David Parker |  | 19 October 2005  | 21 March 2006  |  | Clark
| (1) | Pete Hodgson
Acting[4] |  | 21 March 2006  | 3 May 2006
| (2) | David Parker |  | 3 May 2006  | 19 November 2008
As Minister for Climate Change Issues
| 3  | Nick Smith |  | 19 November 2008  | 21 March 2012  |  | Key
| –  | Craig Foss
Acting[5] |  | 21 March 2012  | 2 April 2012
| 4  | Tim Groser |  | 2 April 2012  | 14 December 2015
| 5  | Paula Bennett |  | 14 December 2015  | 26 October 2017
|  | English
As Minister of Climate Change
| 6  | James Shaw |  | 26 October 2017  | 27 November 2023  |  | Ardern
|  | Hipkins
| 7  | Simon Watts |  | 27 November 2023  | present  |  | Luxon

### Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations

[edit]

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.  | Name  | Portrait  | Title  | Term of Office  | Prime
Minister

|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | Tim Groser |  | Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues (International Negotiations)  | 24 November 2008  | 27 January 2010  |  | Key
| Minister Responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations  | 27 January 2010  | 2 April 2012

## References

[edit]

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. ^ a b 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". The New Zealand 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". The New Zealand Herald. 26 January 2010. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* New Zealand Ministry for the Environment

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