Emissions agreement controversial

AUCKLAND: The Government has signed an agreement with the agriculture sector as part of an effort to get it to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ministry for Primary Industries signed the memorandum of understanding with representatives from ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Ngai Tahu Holdings, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the agreement would see ‘‘$172 million invested over the next four years by industry and government to develop and commercialise practical tools and technologies for farmers’’.

In the first financial year, industry would commit $7.75 million, but ultimately funding for the scheme would be split 5050 between industry and government, he said.

Greenpeace was not impressed with the agreement.

Greenpeace lead agriculture campaigner Christine Rose said the Government could ‘‘cut agricultural emissions and usher in the regenerative farming revolution’’.

‘‘Unfortunately, this government’s current approach lacks the crucial regulatory teeth needed to make this happen, and ignores the core problem of too many cows,’’ Ms Rose said.

Agriculture is New Zealand’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for just under half of all emissions. Controversially, it has been left out of the emissions trading scheme (ETS), meaning the sector pays no price for its climate pollution.

The Government’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and to reduce biogenic methane emissions by 10% by 2030, relative to 2017 levels, and 24%47% lower by 2050.

Agriculture produces 91% of New Zealand’s biogenic methane emissions.

The Government’s emissions reduction plan, published in May this year, directed funds raised from the ETS into climate change mitigation.

Ministers decided to allocate $338.7 million in funding from the ETS for onfarm emissions mitigation, despite farmers not themselves paying into the ETS.

The funding goes towards a Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, for research and development of new tools and technologies to reduce onfarm emissions.

It is not yet clear how much the funding will help the sector reduce its emissions.

‘‘This represents a new and exciting way of working,’’ Mr O’Connor said.

‘‘New Zealand can be, and should be, a leader in developing innovative new tools and technologies to reduce emissions onfarm,’’ he said.

Ms Rose said the centre continued to ‘‘give a free pass to intensive dairy — New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter’’.

It prioritised ‘‘technofixes’’ to the problem of agricultural emissions rather than addressing the core problem, which was the size of the dairy herd, she said.

‘‘We already know the solutions needed to cut agricultural emissions: phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and halving the dairy herd. Instead, this centre commits hundreds of millions on ineffective technofixes.

‘‘It’s an insult to those who are being slammed right now by climatefuelled disasters across the globe.’’ —