Response to “Measuring Up: Environmental Reporting – A Discussion Document” from the Ministry for the Environment
2011: The Royal Society responded to the discussion document on environmental reporting from the Ministry for the Environment. This discussion document commented on proposals to improve New Zealand’s national state of environment reporting.
One of the Society’s key functions is to provide expert advice on important public issues to the Government and the community, hence we were happy to comment in response. As the Society stands on the boundary between the research community and the Government, we understand the importance of evidence in informing policy decisions and thus importance of environmental reporting.
Our key messages were:
- That environmental reporting in New Zealand should be improved;
- That environmental reporting should have a clearly defined purpose and value proposition;
- That stronger links between environmental reporting and environmental policy are necessary; and
- That the development of environmental policies should be an adaptive process and that the Ministry for the Environment should consider the use of an ecosystem services framework to co-ordinate this work.
Read the Response here