This island country is most concerned with its beaches and oceans when climate change comes up. I am currently in a Marine Ecology class, and much of what we are studying also ties into the impacts of ocean warming – fishery collapse, food web alteration, habitat change, stratification, and weather. Sea level rise is also an issue, especially because several major cities are on the coast and many marine animals rely heavily on the intertidal zone. 

Because the country is so sparsely populated, remote, and heavily protected, the main concerns on land seem to be invasive species. Though the terrestrial habitats are also at risk of impacts of warming, the animals who rely on the oceans are most vulnerable due to their sensitivity to small changes in temperature. The nature of the small population also gives the impression that New Zealand does not contribute that heavily to global trends in warming. With only 5 million people, the industries are relatively small (except for the cattle industry) and produce much less pollution on average than the US does. New Zealand is currently under a policy to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while also implementing measures to adapt to the effects of climate change. 

I’ve noticed that most of the products offered at the grocery store have a little stamp on them that says “New Zealand made.” This sticks out to me because I expected this island country to rely heavily on imported goods (but maybe that’s just due to my lack of understanding about global food systems). In the US, a lot of the items we buy (vegetables, packaged goods, etc.) are exported either from other countries or from the other side of the US. This requires a lot of transportation and fossil fuels. Buying a banana from Mexico in Boston requires thousands of miles of driving, shipping, or flying, which has a massive carbon impact. New Zealand, on the other hand, sources a lot of its products from within the country, reducing transportation emissions (not to mention that the entire country seems to be devoid of roads larger than two lanes). There also don’t seem to be quite as many massive corporations controlling entire industries, and most products are local. 

New Zealand has extremely strict biosecurity laws, prohibiting any kinds of fruit, vegetables, meat, dirt, water, or other possibly contaminated items. This likely contributes to the lack of imported products and reliance on internally produced food. It also protects the native species here and attempts to prevent introduction of invasive species and diseases like swine flu. Though this is not particularly a climate change measure, it is another way that NZ looks out for the animals we share this world with.

Compared to most other places in the world, humans have been on this land for a much shorter time. Perhaps this has allowed it to be somewhat preserved and not completely torn down for development, but it also creates these massive swaths of remote mountains and lakes and beaches with no people living there. New Zealand gets a lot of ecotourists, backpackers, and outdoors travelers looking to experience the incredible wilderness. It seems to me like a sort of cyclic effect: people appreciate the nature here, which incentivises its protection, which in turn keeps it beautiful to enjoy. The way NZ protects its wilderness is a model for how the world should approach the relationship to our lands. I know that experiencing the breathtaking beauty here has made me much more aware of my impact on the planet, and has also made me so grateful to experience these pockets of untouched wilderness before they change too much.