Church body has concerns about environment reporting

In a submission on the Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill to Parliament’s Environment Committee, the Commission viewed the Bill through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, applying principles such as the common good, care for creation and preferential option for the vulnerable.

The Bill proposes reducing the frequency of comprehensive state of environment reporting from every three years to every six years and replacing six-monthly domain reports with annual commentary reporting. The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ jointly produce the comprehensive report.

The Commission acknowledged the Government’s objective of producing more meaningful and integrated reporting and expressed support for the broad intent of the Bill to strengthen environmental reporting and improve environmental data systems.

But the Commission expressed concern that “less frequent reporting may risk reducing public visibility of environmental trends and weaken accountability”.

“Environmental change often occurs gradually,” the submission stated. “Consistent and publicly accessible reporting helps decision-makers and communities understand emerging risks within an appropriate timeframe to respond accordingly.”

The Commission asked the Committee to “ensure that reduced reporting requirements do not result in diminished transparency or fewer opportunities for public engagement”.

The submission supported a proposed reporting system that considers both ecological and human impacts which would better serve the common good and environmental justice.

Among other recommendations by the Commission were strengthening recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi within the reporting framework and having meaningful Māori participation in environmental reporting processes.

The proposal to include environmental outlooks is a positive development, the Commission stated, but this reporting should explicitly consider impacts on future generations. Stronger attention should be given to climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater quality, ecosystem resilience and long-term environmental risks.

“The effectiveness of environmental reporting should be measured not only by administrative efficiency,” the submission stated, “but also by its contribution to informed democratic participation, environmental justice, ecological sustainability and intergenerational wellbeing.”

FULL STORY

Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill (Justice and Peace Commission Catholic Diocese of Auckland)

Environmental Reporting Act legislation introduced (Beehive)

Our environment 2025 Tō tātou taiao (Ministry for the Environment).