3409 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Health

3409 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Health: How much, if any, did the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, spend on the carbon neutral government programme in the 2025 calendar year?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP) places a number of formal requirements on Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health. These include annual emissions reporting, third‑party assurance, emissions‑reduction target setting, and development and implementation of an emissions reduction plan to achieve the approved targets. Most of the activity required to meet the CNGP emissions reduction requirements is delivered as business‑as‑usual. These actions frequently deliver emission reduction co-benefits alongside operational improvements. As this activity is embedded within wider capital and operational investment decisions, the specific costs attributable solely to CNGP delivery are difficult to isolate. Costs associated with advice, emissions reporting and independent third‑party assurance are more readily identifiable. In the 2025 calendar year the Ministry of Health’s spend on these was $46,530 (excluding GST) and in the 2024/25 financial year Health New Zealand's spend was $115,000 (excluding GST).