Notice

UK-New Zealand clean energy partnership: memorandum of cooperation

Published 19 November 2025

Memorandum of Cooperation between The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and The Government of New Zealand on the establishment of a United Kingdom-New Zealand Clean Energy Partnership.

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Background

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (‘the United Kingdom’) and the Government of New Zealand (hereinafter referred to jointly as the ‘Participants’ and in the singular as ‘a Participant’), have both committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The energy sector and growth in renewable energy play a vital role to achieving these goals, fostering economic growth, and growing two-way trade and investment between the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

There is increasing collaboration and trade between United Kingdom and New Zealand businesses in the energy and clean technology sectors. This shows that there is a desire from both Participants to strengthen this collaboration through a Clean Energy Partnership (the Partnership) to enhance their bilateral cooperation and two-way trade and investment.

The Participants have reached the following understanding:

Paragraph 1: Objective and purpose

1.1 The objective and purpose of this Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) are to promote collaboration and two-way trade and investment in clean energy and technologies, including renewable energy infrastructure, energy storage, hydrogen and other low carbon fuels, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), critical minerals, and smart energy systems.

1.2 Enhance energy security through diversified and resilient energy systems.

1.3 Facilitate knowledge exchange and policy dialogue.

1.4 The Participants underline the importance of the involvement of the private sector as a driver of the energy transition. The Partnership therefore also aims to promote business-to-business exchanges between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Paragraph 2: Areas of cooperation

Cooperation under the Partnership will focus on areas including:

2.1 Facilitating trade and investment: Promoting bilateral trade and investment in clean energy technologies, services, and infrastructure.

2.2 Offshore renewable energy: Advancing the development and deployment of offshore wind and marine energy technologies.

2.3 Supply chain resilience: Supporting the development of secure, transparent, and sustainable supply chains for energy technologies, including components for renewables, storage systems, and grid infrastructure.

2.4 Network design and modernisation: supporting the design of future-ready and smart electricity grids and networks that are resilient, flexible, and capable of integrating high shares of variable renewable energy.

2.5 Storage and flexibility solutions: supporting adoption and integration of storage technologies including batteries, and other flexibility solutions to enhance network stability and energy system efficiency.

2.6 Critical minerals: supporting investment and trade in critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies and their sustainable production, processing, and recycling, including through novel technologies.

Paragraph 3: Implementation

3.1 Cooperation under this arrangement is subject to the resources of the Participants.

3.2 Under this arrangement New Zealand will be represented by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the United Kingdom will be represented by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

3.3 Participants will nominate a contact point for the administration of the Partnership.

3.4 Participants will aim to hold regular dialogues, at a minimum biannually, to exchange information on energy policy developments and develop a work plan to achieve the objectives of the Partnership.

Paragraph 4: Confidentiality of information

4.1 Each Participant will not use or disclose any data or other information exchanged on the basis of this MoC except for the purpose(s) for which they were provided and in accordance with the laws and regulations applying to that Participant. Except as required by those laws and regulations, such data and information, including the results of any joint research, will not be disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent of the Participant who provided the data or information. This Paragraph will continue to have effect even after the expiration of this MoC.

Paragraph 5: Funding

5.1 This MoC does not involve or envisage the transfer of financial resources between the Participants.

5.2 The Participants accept that all costs arising from the cooperation activities under this MoC should be assumed by the Participant who incurs them, unless otherwise determined jointly by the Participants in writing.

5.3 Each Participant intends to conduct the activities provided in this MoC subject to all applicable laws, regulations and governmental processes in its territory, including processes applicable to budgetary assignment, resource availability and deployment of personnel.

5.4 The Participants intend to establish jointly, in writing, the details for the financing of each particular cooperation activity before commencing such activity.

Paragraph 6: General provisions

6.1 The Participants intend to amicably resolve any question concerning the interpretation or implementation of this MoC through mutual consultation and discussion.

6.2 This MoC represents an expression of the Participants’ intention in good faith to engage in the collaboration described and does not constitute a legally binding agreement or create any rights of obligations under domestic or international law.

6.3 Nothing in this MoC affects the Participants’ rights and obligations derived from international agreements and conventions to which they are parties or their obligations under domestic law.

6.4 This MoC is applicable from the date of its signature and will continue to have effect for a period of 3 (three) years. It will be extended automatically for successive periods of 3 (three)] years, unless one of the Partners notifies the other in writing of its intention to terminate its participation at least 3 (three) months prior to its expiration.

6.5 A Participant may end its participation at any time and should inform the other Participant writing of its intention to end its participation on [3 (three)] months’ notice.

6.6 This MoC may be amended by mutual written consent of the Participants at any time. The amendments will come into effect upon signature by both Participants.

For the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

The Rt Hon Ed Miliband,
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

For the Government of New Zealand:

Hon Simon Watts,
Minister for Energy