Webinar: 2026 national adaptation plan progress assessment

Join us as we explore our 2026 Progress assessment: National adaptation plan – the Commission's two-yearly independent assessment of Aotearoa New Zealand's climate adaptation progress. The report is available on our website: https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz... Copy of today's slides and links to works mentioned: https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz... 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Robin Campbell - General Manager Delivery - Overview 01:00 The Commission's adaptation role 03:15 Key findings 05:00 Sally Garden - Project Director 05:15 Our approach to this assessment 07:22 Our assessment sees some signs of progress... 08:43 ...but significant gaps remain 10:03 Advice and recommendations for the Government 11:01 Christie Marsh - Senior Analyst 11:10 Advice: Six essential areas for urgent action 11:36 1. Be clear about how the costs of adaptation will be paid for 12:44 2. Put in place legal requirements for local adaptation planning 13:53 3. Build climate adaptation into key legislation 14:43 4. Improve national climate risk data 15:33 5. Ensure iwi/Māori can plan and carry out adaptation 16:43 6. Make the next national adaptation plan a strong driver of action Hugh Marshall-Tate - Principal Analyst 17:40 Companion report: National insights relevant for adaptation planning 19:00 Metrics included in the report Robin Campbell 21:50 What happens next? 22:35 Key takeaways 24:00 Q&A 25:00 What does the Commission want to see from the NZ Flood Map? 27:30 Is future food security as a specific national knowledge and governance gap? 29:10 Will the government or minister response occur before the election? 30:00 Does the Commission assess cascading risks that originate overseas, such as supply chain disruptions and fluctuations in energy prices? 32:00 How does this progress assessment relate to the national climate change risk assessment? 34:15 How can we reduce climate change risk via the regional spatial planning process? 35:48 Given the government has made clear that adaptation will be a key part of regional spatial plans, do you think adaptation planning should be funded by unitary or amalgamated authorities rather than supported by central government? 38:20 Will a NZ Flood Map guide decision making at a property and subdivision level? 39:22 How has this report taken into account the Waitangi Tribunal priority inquiry into climate change? 41:08 How far does the Commission consult councils and help out the assessment of use of the national adaptation plan at the local government level? 43:16 Are there any particular approaches the Commission is developing which might give a range of possible options for how adaptation action could be funded in different scenarios? 45:44 The recommendations in this report are the responsibility of various ministers. What are the Commission's findings on fragmentation of portfolios being a potential handbrake for adaptation? 48:09 Recommendations for or opportunities through local government reform 50:50 How are land ownership and governance models being seen as a gap? 52:20 Are there specific examples of where iwi and hapū are leading in climate adaptation? 54:02 How do you distinguish between adaptation planning and adaptation being mainstreamed into Crown and council decisions? How do we measure the impact of these decisions?