James Shaw, minister for climate change, has released the National Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Assessment (NCCRA) Framework meant to deal with climate-related hazards “not yet realised.”
It is part of his Zero Carbon Bill submitted to Parliament in May, which sets a framework to develop climate change policies and “inform climate change adaptation and mitigation opportunities” so the country can be “resilient and prepared” for the effects of climate change.
“We’re not waiting for the Zero Carbon Bill to pass before we get started. We’ve had a team who have developed an incredibly comprehensive and thorough approach to developing the risk assessment,” Shaw said, as reported by Newshub.
The new framework noted that just because an area has no record of a particular hazard doesn’t mean it will stay the same in the future.
Therefore, it will look at “significant regional risks” and examine infrastructure and coastal areas based on vulnerability to climate-related hazards. Assessors will also check whether a change could give rise to a risk that has “not yet been realised.”
Shaw explained that infrastructure assets will be one of their main considerations as they’re a significant part of the expenditure of local authorities.
He added that the government wants to work with the insurance industry as it is “already starting to shift and are developing increasingly sophisticated models about the risks that are present in different locations.”
