New Zealand and SDG 9: Blog 6

            For this blog, I will be covering a country on the continent of Australia, New Zealand. New Zealand, Maori Aotearoa, is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. The country comprises of two main islands- the North and South islands along with a number of small islands. The capital city of the country is Wellington which is on the North Island. New Zealand is about 1000 miles long and about 280 miles wide. The population of the country is estimated at 4,966,000 (2019). The Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is 38,970 U.S. $ (Vowles et al., 2020).

Fig 1. Pavalena. (n.d.). New Zealand map [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/new-zealand-map-vector-1724517 on April 11, 2020.

            The title to New Zealand’s first Voluntary National Review (VNR) is ‘He waka eke noa’ which is a Maori proverb meaning ‘we are all in this together’. The country’s first VNR covers all 17 SDGs with a focus on how they deliver outcomes most relevant to New Zealand. Multiple stakeholders, including non-governmental sectors, have made contributions to the VNR. New Zealand is developing a broader set of measures – the Living Standards Framework (LSF). The LSF puts sustainable intergenerational wellbeing at the center of policymaking and the management of their resources. This is an innovative framework for measuring and analyzing the dynamics of wellbeing, as well as risk and resilience across a broad range of economic, social and environmental domains. In addition, Statistics New Zealand has developed a new set of metrics- Indicators Aotearoa New Zealand (IANZ). The IANZ goes beyond traditional economic measures such as income and GDP and includes wellbeing and sustainable development. IANZ and LSF will be used for monitoring and reporting of progress of the SDGs (United Nations, n.d.).

Fig. 2. The Treasury. (2018). The treasury’s Living Standards Framework [Image]. Retrieved from https://treasury.govt.nz/publications/tp/living-standards-framework-introducing-dashboard-html#section-4 on April 11, 2020.

            New Zealand wants to deliver transformation and growth for all by investing in infrastructure, research and development, and regional economies. New Zealand has a good national infrastructure base. The country is focused on strengthening infrastructure over the next 10 years to keep pace with a growing population. This will also help them move towards a more sustainable, lower-emissions economy. New Zealand is aiming to improve digital connectivity for economic and social benefits and improve wellbeing. The government of New Zealand supports businesses to thrive and be innovative through greater investment in research and development (R&D). Approximately 97 percent of all businesses in New Zealand employ less than 20 employees. The goal is to raise the present GDP of 1.37 percent to 2 percent over the next 10 years. To reach this goal, an R&D tax credit has been introduced to support the combination of grants that are currently in place (“New Zealand’s progress towards the SDGs-2019”, 2019)

            New Zealand has its challenges in the infrastructure sector. The country has relatively low levels of productivity growth and investment in large-scale infrastructure. New Zealand’s institutional arrangements for managing infrastructure investments have not delivered good infrastructure outcomes at a local level. The poor management structures have resulted in ad-hoc and short-term investment decisions that are often focused on the asset solution. This is also because planning and funding decisions are not linked to an overarching vision and strategy. There are inconsistencies in the approaches that central and local government take to the planning, marketing, procurement and delivery of infrastructure (“New Zealand’s progress towards the SDGs-2019”, 2019).

Fig. 3. Auckland Council. (n.d.). Auckland Infrastructure [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans-strategies/auckland-plan/development-strategy/Pages/aucklands-infrastructure.aspx on April 11, 2020.

            New Zealand has a range of initiatives underway to ensure their investment in infrastructure improves wellbeing and living standards. They are working to improve the incentives in the country’s infrastructure system to ensure they deliver good infrastructure outcomes at a local level. The country is also establishing the New Zealand infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga. The government and industry are collaborating to lift the capability and the capacity of the construction workforce. They understand that development of human capital is essential to ensure the country can build, maintain and replace the infrastructure they require to prosper (“New Zealand’s progress towards the SDGs-2019”, 2019).

            New Zealand has an extensive climate policy agenda. The agenda sees action on climate change embedded with its broader economic strategy. New Zealand has endorsed the Paris Agreement and committed to reducing its emissions to 30 percent below 2005 by 2030. The country has also announced its intention to become a net-zero carbon economy by 2050 (“New Zealand’s progress towards the SDGs-2019”, 2019). New Zealand is a developed country which has shown its commitment towards an infrastructurally stronger country while being environmentally responsible.

References

New Zealand’s progress towards the SDGs – 2019[ PDF File]. (2019). Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/23333New_Zealand_Voluntary_National_Review_2019_Final.pdf.

United Nations. (n.d.). New Zealand. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/newzealand.

Vowles, J., Moran, W., Dalziel, R., Blyth, C.A., Sinclair, K. & Oliver, W.H. (April 10, 2020). New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand