Science Media Centre

On Friday, the Government released a discussion paper to identify the areas of scientific knowledge needed to support decision-making for conservation and environment policy and management. The Department of Conservation and Ministry for the Environment jointly released the discussion paper Conservation and Environment Science Roadmap. It identifies big issues and possible research directions for New […]

One billion tonnes. That’s how much the global agricultural industry needs to cut its emissions per year by 2030 to achieve the goals set at COP21 in Paris, according to a new study. An international team of scientists – including a New Zealander – calculated the required emissions cuts based on the goal of keeping […]

Does throwing more money into business R&D always create innovative new products and services? New research suggests the picture is more complex. Two separate papers, launched this week by economic and public policy institute Motu and the New Zealand Productivity Commission, examine the links between research and development (R&D) spending and the creation of new […]

Asbestos exposure during the post-earthquake Canterbury rebuild is unlikely to cause significant health problems for house occupants, according to a new report published this week by the Royal Society of New Zealand and Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. The report, titled Asbestos Exposure in New Zealand: Review of the Scientific Evidence of […]

A new report authored by researchers at AUT and the University of Waikato has revealed that New Zealand’s appearances are deceiving when it comes to human rights. The report, titled Fault lines: Human Rights in New Zealand, looks at the country’s commitment to six different international human rights treaties and includes interviews with politicians and both domestic and international experts. […]

Professor Richie Poulton is the newly-appointed Chief Science Advisor for the Ministry of Social Development, Radio New Zealand reports. An excerpt (read in full here): New chief science advisor appointed The newly-appointed chief science advisor for the Ministry of Social Development hopes to help make vulnerable people’s lives better. Professor Richie Poulton, who appeared in […]

A research review published in the journal Open Heart claims that decades-old recommendations on dietary fat intake in the UK and US are completely unfounded. The authors of the study say that the trials that the recommendations were based on did not include any women, and that no trials tested any dietary guidelines or recommended that any dietary guidelines be drawn up. “It […]

A research review published in the journal Open Heart claims that decades-old recommendations on dietary fat intake in the UK and US are completely unfounded, sparking debates on whether New Zealand’s Ministry of Health should review its current eating guidelines. The authors of the study say that the studies that the recommendations were based on did not include any women, and that no trials […]

The United Nations Climate Summit, concluding in New York this week, has put climate policy firmly back on the political agenda. High-profile leaders such as Barack Obama and David Cameron were among the some 100 Heads of State at the international summit, which aimed to raise political momentum towards a new climate agreement to be thrashed […]

The Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Sir Peter Gluckman, is this week hosting and chairing the Science Advice to Governments conference in Auckland as part of World Science Week. The meeting brings together Science Advisors and Science Advisory Committees from around the world to discuss their role in creating science-informed policy. Ahead of the meeting, […]