New Zealand and the U.S. consolidate partnership on climate change

Six new projects were today announced in Washington under the New Zealand - United States bilateral climate change partnership. The announcement was made by Judy Lawrence of the New Zealand Climate Change Office and Dr. Harlan Watson, the U.S. Senior Climate Negotiator and Special Representative.

The partnership, signed in July 2003, provides means of enhancing and accelerating collaboration and practical cooperation on climate change issues. The projects announced today are:

A study of global methane emissions

The rescue and digitisation of historic climate data

Work on carbon dioxide sequestration in coal seams

Work to develop new materials for the hydrogen economy

Work on nitrous oxide emissions from grazed pastures, and

The hosting of a joint event with Australia, to work with developing countries in the Pacific on climate observation.

"The announcement of these projects today underlines our continuing joint commitment to climate change," says Energy Minister and Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, Pete Hodgson.

The New Zealand delegation to the U.S. was led by Ms. Judy Lawrence; Director of the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment’s Climate Change Office. It also included representatives from the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Industrial Research Limited (IRL), CRL Energy Limited and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The delegation met with senior U.S. officials from the Departments of State and Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Twenty-six projects were announced on the partnership's launch when a U.S. delegation visited Wellington in July 2003. The priority areas set out in the partnership are: climate change science, technology development, greenhouse gas accounting in forestry and agriculture, engagement with business, emissions registries, cooperation with developing countries, climate change research in Antarctica, public education initiatives and product and process standards.

United States-New Zealand Climate Change Partnership: list of additional projects launched 15 July 2004

Climate Change Science Anthropogenic methane emissions and the global methane budget Collaborating agencies: NZ: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) US: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Historical Climate Data Recovery U.S. : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminisitration (NOAA) NZ: NIWA

Technology Development Carbon dioxide sequestration in coal seams NZ: CRL Energy Ltd U.S.: Department of Energy (DOE)

New materials technologies for the hydrogen economy NZ: Industrial Research Limited (IRL) U.S.: DOE

Greenhouse Gas Accounting in Forestry and Agriculture Nitrous oxide emissions from grazed pastures: measurements and modelling NZ: Landcare Research U.S.: Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS)

Cooperation with developing countries Side event on Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) in the Pacific at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (an initiative also involving Australia) NZ: New Zealand Climate Change Office (NZCCO) U.S.: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Australia: Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)

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