Source: New Zealand Government
Opening remarks
Nga mihi ki te rangi, ngā mihi ki te whenua. Ngā mihi ki a koutou. Kia ora mai tātou.
I greet the sky. I greet the earth. I greet all of you. Welcome.
Ki te mana whenua, tēnā koutou. Ko tēnei taku mihi tuku atu ki a koutou. Ngā mihi, ngā mihi.
I would also like to start by acknowledging Professor Tim Naish; Professor Brony James; Professor Gary Wilson; and all distinguished delegates who have travelled from around the world to be here.
Nau mai, haere mai ki whakatau ma Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Once twice, thrice a greeting.
Welcome to Wellington and welcome to New Zealand.
The importance and timeliness of this conference
Your conference comes at a pivotal time. Advances in cryosphere research are sharpening our understanding of the climate system, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, while new technologies are transforming what researchers can observe, measure and model.
For New Zealand, our interest in Antarctica stretches back at least as far as a founding signature to the Antarctic Treaty System. Antarctica is not remote – it is our close neighbour and a critical part of our climate system.
Changes in Antarctic ice sheets influence sea levels, storm behaviour, and long-term risk across our region. Closer to home, research on Southern Alps glaciers is improving our understanding of water resources, ecosystems, and energy security.
The work represented here strengthens and adds to the global evidence base and directly informs long-term planning and resilience.
I acknowledge the significant contribution each of you makes through your fieldwork, modelling, innovation, and international collaboration. Thank you.
Strengthening New Zealand’s science system
Science, innovation and technology are important to a productive and resilient economy. Over the past year, we have responded to science productivity, innovation and modernisation concerns by delivering the most significant reform of New Zealand’s science system in over 30 years.
Seven Crown Research Institutes have been consolidated into three Public Research Organisations aligned to national priorities, including earth systems science. Once of the most successful amalgamations of large state-owned enterprises to date.
We have also established the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology, supported by $231 million over four years, to accelerate capability in frontier technologies such as cryogenic super conduction, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and synthetic biology.
These advanced technologies are increasingly relevant to Antarctic science – from autonomous under-ice vehicles and sub-ice moorings to high-resolution environmental modelling and remote sensing. They are expanding our ability to monitor ice-ocean interactions and improve predictive capability.
Announcement
A few months ago I announced the first ever formal science memorandum of understanding with the United States. The very first projects include:
- Antarctic Groundwater-Ecosystem connectivity
- Spectra of Sentinels: Mapping Ecosystem Change from Ground, Air and Space, and
- Drivers and Implications of Rapid Sea Ice Decline in the Ross Sea.
Today, I am pleased to announce a new international collaborative partner, the UAE, a along with a targeted $1 million increase to New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform for 2026, through the Emirates Polar Steering Committee and the new Polar Research Centre. This investment will support two new joint research projects with Khalifa University in United Arab Emirates.
Through this partnership, researchers will access complementary strengths, including advanced satellite data streams and environmental sensing capabilities.
The initial collaboration projects will focus on:
- Storm dynamics and sea ice formation – integrating high-resolution modelling with new observation techniques to improve forecasting and understanding of how storm systems influence sea ice formation; and
- Tracking changes to ice shelves using autonomous underwater vehicles – deploying long-range AUVs and remote technologies to measure heat content and water mass exchange on the continental shelf, helping fill critical data gaps.
For New Zealand, this partnership further strengthens our contribution to global climate and cryosphere science while building our capability in advanced remote technologies.
This level of collaboration reflects the importance New Zealand places on cryosphere science and international scientific partnership.
Climate resilience and adaptation
The insights generated by cryosphere science are increasingly important for New Zealand and the world.
Here we face growing risks from floods, storms and other natural hazards. In October, the Government released New Zealand’s first National Adaptation Framework — a long-term plan to help communities prepare for climate impacts.
The framework includes practical steps such as developing a consistent National Flood Map, so New Zealanders can access trusted information about their risk, and requiring adaptation plans in priority areas so councils can plan ahead for the next 30 years.
Sound adaptation policy depends on robust science. The research and collaboration represented at this conference directly supports that work.
To all delegates, thank you for your commitment to advancing understanding of our climate system. With two new funded international Antarctic science collaborations in just over 60 days, you can see the importance I place and New Zealand places on cryosphere research. I have urgency and have acted accordingly and I hope that you also share that urgency.
International Science collaboration supported by innovation and technology is essential to building a resilient future.
Closing
In closing, I wish you a productive and stimulating conference, and thank you helping us build a better, safer world.
It is now my pleasure to declare the Climate and the Cryosphere Open Science Conference officially open.
Ngā mihi nui. Thank you.