The Climate Change Minister said the change would give farmers certainty. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The coalition has missed an opportunity to price agricultural methane emissions, as it moves to slash the country's biogenic methane target, a climate scientist says.
The government has cut the biogenic methane reduction target to 14 to 24 percent below 2017 levels by 2050. The previous target was a range of 24 to 47 percent.
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said the lower range would give farmers certainty while keeping the country on track to meet its other climate commitments.
"It is really, really important as a government that we want to provide certainty to our agricultural sector and the adjustment that we're making in terms of changing the methane target to 14 to 24 percent is fair and pragmatic," he said
In weighing up a new target, the government had to decide whether to embrace a 'no additional warming' approach - cutting just enough to hold methane's heating effect steady at a fixed point - or hold the line on more ambitious cuts, brought in by the former Labour government.
ACT leader David Seymour hailed the decision as a win for his party, saying it's about time his coalition partners caught up to him on climate policy.
David Seymour hailed the decision. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
"I voted alone against the entire parliament when these targets were introduced. I'm thrilled seven years later to see a reality check.
"It makes no sense to drive New Zealand farmers out of business so their competitors overseas can serve the same customers with higher emissions. That's the definition of a lose-lose."
Both Labour and the Green Party have condemned the move, arguing the cut will cost the country in the long term.
Labour Party climate spokesperson Deborah Russell said it could impact New Zealand's trading reputation.
"My concern is not so much the emissions themselves, but the political and economic signals it sends; it says that we're not prepared to do our bit and because of that we could be compromised in terms of our markets."
Green Party co-leader and climate change spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said there was a lot more than just the markets on the line.
"This methane denial betrays farmers who are on the front line of climate-driven extreme weather events that threaten global food production and rural livelihoods."
'Missed opportunity' - climate scientist
University of Canterbury professor of physics David Frame was one of five experts on the government-appointed science panel reviewing on biogenic methane targets.
He said the old target was far too ambitious, given it was widely accepted the world was about to go "zooming by" the 1.5 degree global warming target.
"It was never very realistic, [the former Labour government] plucked that target because it was ambitious but that I don't think it was particularly well thought through.
"Now you're seeing a bunch of other countries and entities who made ambitious pronouncements a few years ago begin to see the writing on the wall.
"It's sad and it's not great but it was always a bit of a mistake to hardwire in legislative targets around 1.5 degree Paris [target], which is the lower end of the Paris Agreement target range, just because it was never very plausible."
Frame said the new target was more realistic, though he was critical of the government for deciding against pricing agricultural methane emissions, saying decision makers had bowed to the farming lobby.
"I think if they'd been a little more far sighted, they could have put a small price on agricultural methane emissions and then they would have been in a position to say to the rest of the world, we have a price on agricultural methane emissions and you don't.
"That is a form of leadership, actual practical policy leadership, not just grand pronouncements or what about what the world would be like in 2050 which are pretty meaningless.
"It was a missed opportunity and I also think they could have gone some way to assuaging the concerns of people who think this is a retrenchment from climate policy."
The government will pass an amendment bill - legislating the new biogenic methane target - before the end of the year.
Farmers expected 'to do their fair share' - Minister
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said he still expected farmers to "do their bit" around the country's climate goals.
McClay told Morning Report the government was taking a pragmatic approach to its climate targets.
"Our profile is quite different to many others. Agriculture is probably about 50 percent of our emissions, but they are not 50 percent of the contribution to the harm that is done through climate gases," he said.
"That's why we've taken a different approach. If you think about some of the legislation at 24 to 47 percent decrease in methane over the remaining 20 years, that would've meant a significant number of farms close down. And someone else overseas would produce that food.
"This is still very challenging for New Zealand farmers, but they do have to do their fair share."
New Zealand was still committed to its Paris agreement target of net zero by 2050, but how the country got there was a decision for New Zealanders, McClay said.
He said other parts of the economy would have to pay more to ensure emissions targets remain on track.
"Inevitably, everyone is going to have to pay something ... and that's the greatest challenge," he said.
"The moving of the cost around the economy I would argue is marginal. But what's most important is that our most productive sector - exports creates many many jobs that New Zealanders rely upon - is not devastated."
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