The primary sector wants the government to review its methane targets before it starts pricing agricultural greenhouse gases.
This is included in the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) submission on the government-proposed pricing structure, saying new targets that reflect the latest scientific evidence are needed before the sector starts to be charged in 2025.
Methane targets were legislated by Parliament in 2019 as part of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act, requiring the sector to reduce emissions 10% below 2017 levels by 2030 and by 24-47% below 2017 levels by 2050.
The HWEN submission pulls few punches, saying the government’s changes are not acceptable to the partnership and the growers and farmers they represent.
“The government proposals have shifted the overall balance and as a result do not offer any assurance that the pricing system will not threaten the viability of the New Zealand agriculture sector and provide for a ‘just transition’ to a low-emissions economy.”
The government response would hit hill country sheep and beef farmers especially hard, with modelling showing a possible cut in gross revenue of about 20%.
There were also concerns at the paring back of the classes of vegetation those proposed changes would recognise as carbon-sequestering.
The HWEN submission lists 11 concerns and variously urges the government to revert to its initial approach or an amended version, saying it is needed to improve the policy’s practicality and effectiveness.
Its concerns are wide-ranging.
They cover price setting, governance and transitional arrangements, sequestration, point of obligation for synthetic fertilise emissions, collectives, revenue recycling and government modelling on sectorial impacts and emissions leakage.
“Partners remain committed to working in good faith with government and iwi/Māori to design a practical cost-effective farm-level system for enabling the agricultural sector to play its part in responding to climate change by 2025,” it states.
“Our objective is for policy to be effective, enduring and have partnership support, and we therefore call upon government to consider and adopt these recommendations.”
