Application form for a science assessment of a carbon removal activity

Use of information

The information you provide will be used by the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry) to assess your application under the Assessment Framework for Carbon Removals. By completing this application form, you consent to the Ministry using anonymised information for internal and external reporting purposes. 

How information privacy will be managed

Your personal privacy will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. You have the right to request access to and correction of the personal information we hold about you. 

The content of your application may fall within the scope of an Official Information Act 1982 request. If it does, you will be notified. The Ministry may withhold information from such a request where it falls within the categories outlined in sections 6 and 9 of the Act. For example, the Ministry would be able to withhold commercially sensitive information and personal information, such as people’s names, to protect their privacy.

Applying artificial intelligence tools

The Ministry may apply artificial intelligence (AI) tools to the information you submit in your application to gather data and develop insights. The information you submit in the application will remain within the Ministry’s information management systems and will not be used to train large language models. 

If your application proceeds to be independently assessed by scientists, the organisation undertaking this assessment will be bound by contractual arrangements with the Ministry to protect your privacy and confidentiality. If they choose to use AI tools, they will need to assure the Ministry they are able to do so while protecting privacy and confidentiality. 

Publication of information

The Ministry may publish information about an application where that information is relevant and useful to other parties. This will not include any commercially sensitive or personal information.

Information that may be shared could include the following:

• date of application
• name of organisation that made the application
• description of the carbon removal activity that is the subject of the application 
• current status of the application (ie, whether it is under consideration or has been approved, withdrawn or declined).

Any publication of information related to applications would be in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the grounds for withholding information in the Official Information Act 1982, including relating to personal information.