Govt urged to reduce ETS units
The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.
OPINION: Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr’s foolish and ham-fisted comment comparing NZ’s farming sector to the country’s defunct whaling industry was an appalling way for him to kick off the consultation period of his organisation’s draft carbon emissions budget.
It is a pity Carr has now blotted his copybook with farmers.
When appointed Climate Commission chair last year, he sounded much more reasonable and measured—even telling the Newsroom website:
“In the agricultural sector, there is no or little denial of climate change…In the agricultural sector there is a growing awareness of the need for change, but also a concern about what is the nature of the change that is needed. I think the agricultural sector is highly innovative, I don’t think they’re in denial. For my money, New Zealand should be substantially increasing its investment in agriculture research.”
The throwaway line also detracts from the Climate Change Commission’s report, which suggests more science and technology, more trees and less livestock is the prescription offered on how to reduce greenhouse gases in the agriculture sector.
It is going to be a tough ask. As Beef+ Lamb NZ’s Sam McIvor says, the sector needs more detail to understand the assumptions, methodologies and science used by the commission to underpin some of its advice.
He is correct when he says the advice of a 15% reduction in sheep, cattle and dairy livestock numbers within the next nine years needs proper analysis of the social and economic impacts of land-use change on communities and the science behind the methane targets.
The roadmap set out by the commission for the agriculture sector to reduce its carbon footprint is ambitious and challenging. It is not at all helpful, when asking the sector to take on such a tough challenge, for the chair of the Climate Change Commission to liken NZ farming it to a morally reprehensible industry such as whaling.
Carr’s ridiculous, insulting and stupid whaling analogy about the country’s agriculture sector only goes to prove that he is tone deaf. It is not a smart or productive way to get farmers – who both the commission and the country need – onside in an effort to reduce NZ’s overall carbon emissions.
At the very least, he should retract and apologise for the silly remark.
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
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