Established on 1 July 2025 by the merger of GNS Science and NIWA, the increased scale and capabilities of Earth Sciences NZ will enable a lift in innovation, commercial outcomes and use of advanced technologies within the national economy. The acquisition of MetService and inclusion of the Measurement Standards Laboratory over the coming year will further enhance Earth Sciences NZ’s capability to support the economy and ensure the safety of New Zealand’s communities and assets.

A key focus for Earth Sciences NZ is to maximise the long-term benefits for New Zealand by being adaptable and responsive to government priorities. We will support the Government-led changes to the science system through improved collaboration, sharing of science infrastructure, services, and operational efficiency gains, and by keeping pace with technology advances. Earth Sciences NZ will also look for partnerships with private sector investors in research capability, facilities and knowledge production.

The research and services of Earth Sciences NZ will focus on the following six significant areas of science:

• Geological Hazards research to predict and mitigate the risks of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis, thereby enhancing New Zealand’s resilience and preparedness for such events.
• Weather and Climate Hazards research to predict and mitigate the risks of heat waves, floods, droughts, damaging winds, coastal hazards and space weather, thereby enhancing New Zealand’s resilience and preparedness for such events.
• Energy research to advance understanding of energy resources and develop materials and technologies to grow energy production from hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, marine, mineral green hydrogen, etc. resources, including options for energy storage and efficiency gains.
• Land and Water research to support the management and use of land and water resources while ensuring the environmental limits required to ensure the health, biodiversity and biosecurity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are met.
• Oceans research to advance management and use of marine resources and ecosystems, including fisheries, aquaculture and minerals, thereby enabling the economic opportunities to be realised and the health, biodiversity and biosecurity of marine environments to be maintained.
• Atmosphere and Climate research to improve predictions of weather and climate to inform national climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, and to realise economic opportunities of climate variability and change.

Our research will inform the policies and decisions that enable New Zealanders to live sustainably and build resilience to a challenging global environment. To maximise our impact, we will strengthen our established partnerships with end users, Māori and stakeholders, ensuring our outputs are useful, usable and used.

The Earth Sciences NZ Statement of Corporate Intent for 2025 outlines our contribution over the coming year. Focused on 2025/26, it describes our direction, objectives, and performance measures, outlining how we will manage and mitigate risks, and maximise opportunities. It also forecasts our activity out to 2027/28.

View the Statement of Corporate Intent 2025/26 [PDF 4MB]