[UNCLASSIFIED]
Ref: OIA 2023-023
T Murray
[FYI request #24984 email]
21 December 2023
Kia ora T Murray,
Thank you for your request of 1 December 2023 seeking the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
-
The date, time and location of your initial meeting with the new Minister for your
department;
-
A list of attendees at this meeting
-
The cost of any flights and accommodation for staff who reside outside of wellington to
attend this meeting
-
Any documentation provided at the meeting
-
All notes (including handwritten notes) taken at the meeting by department staff;
-
A copy of any emails sent by department attendees or all staff communications regarding
the meeting with the new Minister.
The Climate Change Commission has considered your request in accordance with the Act.
The Commission met with the new Minister for Climate Change, Hon Simon Watts, for the first time on
Tuesday 28 November at 5:00pm. This meeting was held at the Minister’s office in Parliament Buildings.
The attendees at the meeting from the Commission were Dr Rod Carr (Board Chair), Jo Hendy (Chief
Executive), and Alexandra Aimer-Seton (Principal Analyst - Industry & Energy). While our Board Chair
usually resides outside of Wellington, he was already in the city when this meeting took place and did not
travel specifically for it. The other attendees reside in Wellington and did not need to travel to Wellington
to attend.
Attendees provided the following documentation at the meeting:
• our advice on the direction of policy for the Government’s second emissions reduction plan (ERP)
for 2026-2030,
• our 2022/23 Annual Report, and
• an A3 showing legislated deliverables for the Commission through to 2044.
The A3 has been included in the attached document pack (document 1) and is released to you in full. This is
also referred to as “programme plan” in the emails released to you.
[UNCLASSIFIED]
[UNCLASSIFIED]
As the second ERP advice and the 2022/23 Annual Report are publicly available, this part of your request is
refused under section 18(d) of the Act. You can find both documents on our website:
• 2023 Advice on the direction of policy for the Government’s second emissions reduction plan,
https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/our-work/advice-to-government-topic/advice-for-
preparation-of-emissions-reduction-plans/2023-draft-advice-to-inform-the-strategic-direction-of-
the-governments-second-emissions-reduction-plan-april-2023/
• 2022/23 Annual Report
, https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/who-we-are/corporate-
publications/2020/annual-report-2022-23/
Only one attendee from the Commission took notes at the meeting, and these are released to you in full
(Document 4).
Documents 5 through to 8 are copies of emails sent between Commission attendees regarding the meeting
with the Minister. We have also included emails captured in these email chains sent by other Commission
staff members who did not attend the meeting, as they pertain to the meeting with the Minister.
Please note, I was Acting Chief Executive at the time of the meeting being organised and had intentions of
attending the meeting, however, as mentioned above, Chief Executive Jo Hendy attended.
A briefing with talking points was prepared for the Board Chair ahead of the meeting. This is referred to as
a “prep doc”, “prep pack” or “briefing doc” in the emails released to you. This document is released to you
in full (Document 9).
Commission staff were informed of the meeting and its outcomes at the Commission’s regular weekly all-
staff meeting a few days later. The talking points used for this announcement are attached as Document
10.
Please note that some information contained in the documents is not within the scope of your request and
so has not been included in our release. An outline of the documents released to you and the
corresponding decisions under the Act are detailed in Appendix 1.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this response by the Office of the Ombudsman, in
accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. Contact details for the Ombudsman can be found on their website
at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz Please note that the Commission proactively releases its responses to requests made under the Act. This is
to help ensure others can also have access to this information. As such, this letter will shortly be published
on our website with your name and contact details redacted to protect your privacy.
Ngā mihi
Grant Blackwell
Chief Science Advisor
[UNCLASSIFIED]
[UNCLASSIFIED]
Appendix One – Document Schedule
Doc #
Document date
Description
Decision
1
N/A
Document provided at meeting - A3 of Released in full.
the Commission’s statutory functions
and deliverables
2
N/A
Document provided at meeting - 2023 Refused in full under Section
Advice on the direction of policy for
18(d) of the Act – publicly
the Government’s second emissions
available.
reduction plan
3
N/A
Document provided at meeting -
Refused in full under Section
2022/23 Annual Report
18(d) of the Act – publicly
available.
4
28 November
Handwritten notes taken at the
Released in full.
2023
meeting by Commission staff
5
26 November
Emails – subject: Re: Simon Watts
Information relevant to your
2023
request has been released in
27 November
full.
2023
6
27 November
Emails – subject: Rod briefing with
Released in full.
2023
Minister tomorrow
7
28 November
Emails – subject: RE: New Minister
Released in full.
2023
briefing – prep doc
8
28 November
Emails – subject: Re: UPDATED: New
Released in full.
Minister briefing doc
9
N/A
Attachment to email in document 7 –
Released in full.
Briefing with new Minister of Climate
Change, Hon Simon Watts – 5pm, 28
November 2023
10
30 November
Staff meeting 30 November notes
Information relevant to your
2023
request has been released in
full.
[UNCLASSIFIED]
