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 2023/24 financial year?

Answer

I am advised in the 2023/24 financial year, the Ministry of Health spent approximately $67,340 on activities associated with the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP). This expenditure comprised of: • $43,340 on external provider services supporting CNGP reporting and assurance • Approximately $24,000 representing internal staff time (equivalent to around 10% of two full time equivalent roles) allocated to CNGP reporting and coordination. I am further advised by Health New Zealand that emissions reporting and independent third-party assurance costs for the 2023/24 financial year equated to $201,000 and 1.5 full time equivalent role. The CNGP places a number of formal requirements on Health New Zealand, most of which is delivered as business as usual and contributes to good practice asset management, spend-to-save energy efficiency investments, and financial sustainability goals. This includes, for example, the replacement of ageing assets at end of life, including vehicle fleet and energy plant. These actions frequently deliver emissions reductions as co-benefits alongside operational improvements, and it is not possible to aggregate the costs.