increase font size
Tim Mackle.
DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle supports the new Interim Climate Change Committee, however he is concerned that it has no member with actual farm knowledge.
“This understanding and experience is vital in order to understand how different mitigations impact on the farm system,” Mackle says.
The six-member committee will he headed by Dr David Prentice, most recently chief executive of the infrastructure firm Opus International Consultants.
The deputy chair is Lisa Tumahai, who is experienced in governance and is a director of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Other committee members are Dr Harry Clark, a New Zealand expert on agricultural greenhouse gas research; Dr Keith Turner, former chief executive of Meridian and a professional director; Dr Jan Wright, former parliamentary commissioner for the environment; and Dr Suzi Kerr, known internationally for her expertise in the economics of climate change policy and emissions trading.
Mackle says the members’ expertise will move NZ’s economy towards a low emission future.
The interim committee will consider agriculture’s role in meeting NZ’s greenhouse reduction targets and whether agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions should face a price in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.
“DairyNZ [will help] our levy payers do their part to address on farm emissions,” says Mackle. “The dairy industry must do its part alongside the wider economy to reduce and offset NZ’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Climate Change Minister James Shaw referred to the members’ expertise in areas related to climate change: agriculture, agribusiness, climate change science and policy, resource economics and impacts, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo me ona tikanga Māori and Māori interests, international competitiveness, and energy production and supply.
“We need work to start now on how agriculture might enter into the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZETS), and we need planning now for the transition to 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035,” says Shaw.
An independent climate change commission will be set up under the Zero Carbon Act in May next year.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
There has been a bit of discussion in the media lately about the Paris climate agreement and whether New Zealand should withdraw from it.
After 20 years of milking cows, Northland farmer Greg Collins is ready to step into the governance side of dairy.
For some Canterbury teenagers, their career is being shaped by hands-on experience in a sector they are passionate about - dairy farming.
Dairy farmers will be paying a new levy rate of 4.5c/kgMS - an extra 0.9c/kgMS - to industry-good body DairyNZ from June 1 this year.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.
