About Us
Vision of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre
To enhance the capacity of New Zealand, both domestically and in partnership with other countries, to anticipate, mitigate, and adapt to climate change.
Purpose of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre
To encourage and facilitate collaboration between organisations and disciplines in order to:
- Provide a platform for:
- coordinating multi-agency climate change research that is relevant to New Zealand
- communicating climate change science to the public, policy-makers, and other stakeholders
- Assist the participating organisations to develop and apply cost-effective and sustainable science-based solutions to the challenges of mitigation and adaptation
- Build New Zealand’s research, technical, and policy analysis capabilities through improved education and training opportunities
- Enhance public understanding of climate change issues
- Improve the quality of policy debate and policy outcomes.
Desired Outcomes of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre
- Improved collaboration between researchers in the participating organisations and integration across disciplines
- Improved networking with relevant international organisations
- Improved linkages between researchers and endusers
- Improved educational and training programmes at all levels of relevance to climate change
- Increased access to, and participation in, education and training programmes of relevance to climate change
- Improved public participation in formulation and adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures
- Improved policy analysis and more robust climate change policies.
Proposed Activities of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre
- Developing a website and climate change database covering:
- relevant research expertise and staff in participating organisations
- up-to-date information and links on climate change
- Providing up-to-date information on climate change research activities in the participating organisations, including an events calendar
- Hosting an annual conference on key scientific, technical, and policy issues
- Hosting workshops and roundtable discussions
- Producing periodic synthesis reports and special reports on request
- Facilitating the development of appropriate collaborative research programmes, technical tools, and policy solutions
- Providing a forum for identifying research priorities and gaps, and a mechanism for engaging with officials and ministers on such matters
- Providing a forum for discussing issues of mutual concern relating to climate change research, education and training
- Securing funding and sponsorship to enable the Centre to fulfil its mandate.