Senior officials from New Zealand and the United States met in Wellington today to consolidate cooperation under the bilateral climate change partnership. Through this initiative, the U.S. and New Zealand have committed to enhanced bilateral dialogue and practical cooperation on climate change.

The U.S. delegation to New Zealand was led by Dr Harlan Watson, Senior Climate Negotiator and Special Representative of the Department of State. Dr Watson headed a delegation including representatives from the Departments of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Energy and State, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation, and the Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS), a consortium of nine U.S. universities and a national laboratory assembled to investigate agricultural soils to mitigate greenhouse gases.

During his visit to New Zealand, Dr Watson met with the Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, Hon Pete Hodgson. He also met with a range of senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Climate Change Office, the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Treasury, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), as well as climate change scientists from a number of agencies, including the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Landcare Research, CRL Energy Ltd, Massey University, Victoria University of Wellington and Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences.

The exchanges underscored the significant amount of cooperation which already exists between the U.S. and New Zealand in the area of climate change research.

A number of new projects were initiated under the partnership in the following nine areas: climate change science; technology development; greenhouse gas accounting in forestry and agriculture; engagement with business; cooperation with developing countries; climate change research in Antarctica; and public education initiatives. The two sides also discussed a number of policy issues including process and product standards to achieve common best practice benchmarks for appliances, vehicles and industry processes, as well as the development of emissions registries. Specific projects included under the partnership are identified in an attachment to this statement.

United States and New Zealand bilateral climate change partnership: current collaborative projects

Climate Change Science

Proposed Flask Sampling from a Ship Plying the Western Pacific
[Collaborating agencies: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL)]

Stratospheric Water Profiles
[NIWA, NOAA, CMDL]

Dobson Spectrophotometer Measurements of Stratospheric Ozone
[NIWA, NOAA, CMDL]

Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC)
[NIWA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), CMDL]

Technology Development

Distributed Energy Systems
[Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), Industrial Research Limited (IRL), Massey University, Totara Valley Community, US Department of Energy (DOE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory]

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Feasibility Study
[EECA, Ministry of Economic Development (MED), UNITEC, CRL Energy Ltd, IRL, Massey University, DOE, US Department of Defence, Stanford University]

Assessment of geological CO2 sequestration and storage in low rank coal seams
[MED, CRL Energy Ltd, DOE, National Energy Technology Laboratory]

Energy Efficiency
[EECA, DOE, Oakridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]

Emissions Registries and Voluntary Programs

Sharing information and lessons from emissions registries and voluntary programmes
[MED, NZ Climate Change Office, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DOE]

Greenhouse Gas Accounting in Forestry and Agriculture

Quantifying land-use and management effects on carbon storage in the United States and New Zealand
[Landcare Research, AgResearch, University of Canterbury, Woods Hole Research Center, Baylor University, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, University of Colorado, Columbia University, Texas Tech University, University of California, Davis.]

Carbon accounting and land management
[NZ Climate Change Office, Landcare Research, Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS)]

Nitrous oxide emissions: measurement and modelling
[Lincoln University, AgResearch, Landcare Research, CASMGS]

Greenhouse gas emission measurement for mitigation assessment of cropland and grazing land
[NIWA, Landcare Research, CASMGS]

Improving agricultural non-CO2 GHG emission estimates and identifying mitigation options
[Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, AgResearch, Lincoln University, Landcare Research, EPA]

Engaging with Business

Engaging with and informing enterprises about practices and technologies to address greenhouse gas emissions
[NIWA, New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, EECA, Climate Change Office, Rocky Mountain Institute, DOE, EPA]

Sharing information on business initiatives and opportunities
[NZ Climate Change Office, MED, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, EPA, Department of State, DOE]

Developing Country Assistance

Improved climate monitoring systems for the Pacific
[NIWA, MetService, NOAA]

Improved ocean climate observations for the Pacific
[NIWA, NOAA, East-West Center]

Development and use of tailored climate and climate change information and products for the Pacific
[NIWA, New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), NOAA, East-West Center, University of Hawaii, International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI)]

Capacity development on climate and extreme events in the Pacific
[NIWA, East-West Center, NOAA]

Climate Change Research in Antarctica

ANDRILL – Antarctic Geological Drilling
[Antarctica New Zealand, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS), Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago, NIWA, University of Canterbury, National Science Foundation (NSF), University of Nebraska, Northern Illinois University, Ohio State University, Florida State University, University of Massachusetts]

Surface Ozone Measurement Project
[NIWA, NOAA, CMDL]

Understanding past climate from ice cores in New Zealand and Antarctica
[GNS, Victoria University of Wellington, NSF, University of Maine]

Latitude Gradient Project
[NIWA, Antarctica New Zealand, NSF, University of Virginia, Ohio State University]

Public Education Initiatives

Sharing education and outreach products and lessons learnt
[NZ Climate Change Office, NIWA, EPA, NOAA]

Product and Process Standards

Energy Efficiency Standards
[EECA, Ministry for the Environment, MED, DOE]