Environment Aotearoa 2015

Tēnā koe

Today Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry for the Environment released our first joint report on New Zealand’s overall environment: Environment Aotearoa 2015.

Environment Aotearoa 2015 reports on five domains: air, atmosphere and climate, freshwater, land, and marine environments. Biodiversity is included as a cross-cutting theme and future versions will increasingly reflect the Māori world view – te ao Māori – as relevant data becomes available over time.

The report is part of our environmental reporting series. This means it is supported by detailed technical data and web indicators published by SNZ. It is also supported by an infographic which provides a simple snapshot of the key findings. The other component of the series is access to the raw data on the relevant web indicator pages for anyone who wishes to carry out their own analysis.

Media release and Q&As

Key findings

We are keen to hear your thoughts about the report so we can continue to improve. Please provide your views through our feedback survey. 

Ngā mihi

Vicky Robertson – Chief Executive and Secretary for the Environment

Ministry for the Environment – Manatu Mo Te Taiao
DDI: 04 439 7457  Website: www.mfe.govt.nz
23 Kate Sheppard Place, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143

Liz MacPherson - Government Statistician/Chief Executive

Statistics New Zealand - Statistics House, The Boulevard, Harbour Quays, PO Box 2922, Wellington 6140

P: +64 (4) 931 4973 M: +64 21 899 259 F: +64 (4) 931 4029 E:liz.macpherson@stats.govt.nz - www.stats.govt.nz

Background Information

Environment Aotearoa 2015 is the first comprehensive national-level environmental report since Environment New Zealand 2007 but is different in a number of key ways:

• It has been produced at arm’s length from Government by SNZ and the Ministry and can be independently audited by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

• All the data in it has been assessed against SNZ’s data quality framework. This sets a standard suitable for users of statistical information. It measures the data against six criteria – including relevance, accuracy, and interpretability – which determine whether the information is classified as a National Indicator, Case Study or Supporting Information, or rejected and not reported at all.

• This is consistent with how New Zealand’s environmental reporting will be done under the new Environmental Reporting Act.

• The reporting approach focuses on the pressures on our environment, the state of our environment as a result of the pressures, and the impact of the state of our environment on New Zealand’s wider economy and society.