Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says the Government’s announcement of a revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is disappointing and reiterates its call for New Zealand to revise its methane targets.
B+LNZ Chair Kate Acland says the NDC’s failure to follow a split-gas approach is a significant concern.
“New Zealand is the only country that has split-gas domestic targets and an all-gas aggregated NDC target.
“This creates confusion as to what reductions New Zealand is actually trying to achieve from an emissions reduction perspective from each gas and creates uncertainty for farmers about what future policy objectives will be.
“There was a real opportunity here to address that, but the Government has chosen not to.
“Uruguay, another country with a significant agricultural sector, has adopted a split gas approach so there is a precedent globally.”
In light of the uncertainty, B+LNZ reiterates its call for the Government to amend New Zealand’s methane targets.
An independent panel on methane last year reinforced that New Zealand’s current methane targets are too high and could be revised downwards.
It found that reductions in the range of 14-24 percent by 2050 would see methane not add any additional warming from 2017 levels, depending on how quickly the rest of the world reduces its emissions.
“The panel’s findings were an improvement on the current methane targets but would still be a stretch for the sheep and beef sector,” Acland says.
“B+LNZ has long advocated for a review of the targets based on a warming approach.
“Methane should only be asked to do what is being asked of other gases, which is to achieve no additional warming. We simply can’t leave the current 47 percent target hanging there.
“Farmers are committed to the environment and absolute emissions from sheep and beef farms have reduced by 35 percent since 1990. We know there’s an expectation that further progress is made in reducing agricultural emissions from food production, but farmers need clarity and certainty.
“We need progress on this issue, soon, and we’ll continue to push this case to the Government.”
ENDS
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