Leaving Paris ‘not in red meat sector’s interests’
Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chair Kate Acland says it’s not in red meat farmers’ interests to leave the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Labour Party is planning to introduce an amendment to the Government's emissions trading bill when it goes through the committee stages in Parliament in the next week or so.
The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and other Matters) Amendment Bill passed its second reading a couple of weeks ago. During the committee stages the bill will be debated clause by clause and that's when Labour's spokesperson, Moana Mackey, will introduce an amendment aimed at forcing greenhouse gas emitters to buy at least half their carbon credits within New Zealand. At present they can source all their carbon credits from overseas and this has drawn sharp criticism from local forestry groups.
Mackey claims her amendment won't necessarily push up the price of carbon credits, but it will bring New Zealand into line with what's happening in Australia and Europe in regard to carbon credit policy. She believes it will also bring stability to the forestry sector and she's lobbying United Future's Peter Dunne to support her amendment.
"When Labour put in the ETS we had incentives for forestry planting but this is not happening now and we are not seeing any new plantings. It takes a couple of years to secure the investment for forestry and three or four years for the trees to start sequestering carbon at meaningful rates. We need to be planning and planting forests right now."
Meanwhile, there is speculation New Zealand will not sign up to the second round of commitment to the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions. It's understood a Cabinet paper on this has been prepared, but no discussion or decision has been taken. This lines up with the Government concerns about the effects of such a commitment on New Zealand's primary sector.
Even if New Zealand were not to sign the next Kyoto 'commitment' it would still remain a party to the protocol and meet other obligations, primarily in relation to the comprehensive reporting of our greenhouse gas emissions.
- By Peter Burke
The drought breaking rain in Northland was greeted with much joy and delight by the more than 200 people who turned out last week for a field day at the farm of Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust near the east coast settlement of Whangaruru, about 70km from Whangarei.
Federated Farmers supports a review of the current genetic technology legislation but insists that a farmer’s right to either choose or reject it must be protected.
New Zealand’s top business leaders are urging the US Administration to review “unjustified and discriminatory tariffs” imposed on Kiwi exporters.
New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump signal an uncertain future, but New Zealand farmers know how to adapt to changing conditions, says Auriga Martin, chief executive of Farm Focus.
A global trade war beckons, which is bad news for a small open economy like New Zealand, warns Mark Smith ASB senior economist.
Carterton's Awakare Farm has long stood as a place where family, tradition and innovation intersect.
OPINION: At last, a serious effort to better connect farmers and scientists.
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