B+LNZ provides submissions when the Government consults on its approach to New Zealand’s emissions budgets, which outline how the reductions required in the Climate Change Response Act will be met.
The fourth emissions budget
In July 2026 we provided a submission outlining our views on the Climate Change Commission’s update of their recommended emissions reduction pathways as part of their advice on Emissions Budget 4 (2036–2040) or EB4.
In our submission, we argue the Commission should change its EB4 so that it is in line with the updated methane targets (which are now 14–24 percent below 2017 levels by 2050) and not go beyond those.
We say its associated advice should explicitly assess emissions leakage risks, prioritise the resilience of food production, avoid excessive reliance on afforestation, and ensure modelling assumptions around technology adoption, land-use change and production impacts reflect real-world conditions.
Read the EB4 submission here (PDF, 608KB)
The second Emissions Reduction Plan
In late August 2024 B+LNZ, with the Meat Industry Association, provided a submission to the Ministry for the Environment on its discussion document outlining the Government’s approach to New Zealand’s second emissions budget (ERP2) covering emissions reductions between 2026 and 2030.
Key points in our submission:
- Due to uncontrolled conversion of whole farms into carbon forestry, we have already seen significant reductions in our sector, so pricing to drive emissions reductions is not necessary.
- We continue to be concerned about the reliance on carbon forestry for removals of long-term GHG emissions and the consequences that has on land use and food production – and the sustainability of our sector.
- We broadly support the discussions document’s proposed technology-led approach, including improvement of the approval process for novel mitigation technologies. However, we want to ensure that these tools can be applied safely and effectively within our pasture-based farming operations as well as effectively included in our GHG inventory – and we raised concerns about the lack of clarity on the pathway to implement tools and technology into New Zealand’s pastoral production systems.
Read our ERP2 submission here (PDF, 511KB)
Read our November 2025 submission (PDF, 442KB) on the proposed amendment to ERP2 where we support the removal of agricultural emissions pricing
The first Emissions Reduction Plan
In late 2021 the Government consulted on its plan outlining emissions reductions needed between 2022 and 2025, while signalling what actions would be needed 2025-2035. Its short-term focus was on emissions in the energy, transport and industrial heating sectors.
In our submission, which we provided with Deer Industry New Zealand, we noted there needs to be clear differentiation in the plan between short- and long-lived greenhouse gases, in line with the split gas targets in the Climate Change Response Act and a warming approach.
We also argued for restrictions on carbon forestry offsetting, which drives significant land-use change.
Download the B+LNZ and Deer Industry New Zealand submission on the emissions reduction plan here (PDF, 862KB)