A visit to Waipukurau reminds Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr of the strength of communities in provincial New Zealand, and the importance of working together to reduce agricultural emissions
Aotearoa has long led the world in food and fibre innovation, with the agriculture sector underpinned by a willingness to evolve and adapt.
If we want to maintain that reputation, effective action on climate change is in our best interests. We can use this time to create opportunities rather than face mounting challenges from being left behind as consumer preferences, new technologies and foreign regulators align with lower emissions lifestyles.
Agriculture is a hugely significant part of our export economy and culture, and this is why not only reducing agricultural emissions but how we go about it is critical for Aotearoa.
Farmers, at least all those I have been related to or known, work hard, care about the land and their animals, value the communities of which they are a part and hold a genuine belief that the food and fibre they produce makes New Zealand prosperous while making the world a better place.
I was at a family gathering in Waipukurau recently – my wife’s family hails from there. They are great folk and a reminder of the strength of communities in provincial and rural New Zealand.
While recently we saw the country come to town, it’s a reminder town needs to get out into the country to understand one of the key components of what makes us New Zealand.
Working together
Agricultural emissions are mostly made up of nitrous oxide and biogenic methane, and any efforts to reduce them will have a positive impact in reducing global warming. We know methane has an intense warming effect in the initial years but reduces in decades ahead, and our 2050 targets (including the 2030 methane target) reflect this.
Working together, supported by clear policies, we have the opportunity to transition to low emissions and less vulnerable farming systems – encouraging ways of farming smarter and supporting each other to reduce emissions on farm as well as in supply chains and channels to markets.
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The Commission’s advice Ināia tonu nei sets out recommended actions for reducing emissions in agriculture.
Through consultation, we spoke to a lot of people in the agriculture sector – and we know there are many already doing good work in an effort to reduce emissions.
What’s missing is a clear way forward agreed between Government, iwi/Māori and sector leaders on how we will tackle agricultural emissions.
Measuring, managing and pricing emissions
The Commission is currently developing advice on pricing agricultural emissions in Aotearoa, on which the Government must make a decision by the end of 2022. A government-industry partnership, He Waka Eke Noa, is also preparing advice to give to Ministers in April 2022.
The Commission’s role is to assess progress towards measuring and managing agricultural emissions at farm level, and whether farmers are ready to participate in a pricing scheme. We’ll look at how this can be done in a way that recognises and rewards emissions reductions on farm.
Our advice will also consider what assistance – if any – should be provided to participants in such a system.
We understand that to provide advice on whether a pricing scheme can be practically implemented and will result in emissions reductions on farm, we need to speak to the people who hold the first-hand knowledge and expertise. We will be working with different groups on this over the coming months.
A well-designed pricing mechanism will give clear outcomes for farmers, so they can be innovative and find solutions that work for them and their farms. Aotearoa is a geographically diverse country with diverse people – and strength can be found in that diversity, and an ability to adapt and grow.
And while we are clear in our advice that emissions pricing has an important role to play, it is only one part of the response in reducing agricultural emissions. The Government cannot rely on a pricing mechanism as the only tool.
More action is needed
Ināia tonu nei was clear that other policies and funding would be needed to drive innovation and research and development, as well as support and planning for the adoption of new emissions-efficient technologies and practices across the sector.
This ranges from developing a long-term R&D plan for agricultural emissions to supporting the deployment of systems and infrastructure for lower emissions land uses.
To meet the expectations of the public – and the sector – who have asked for a clear and consistent way forward, the Government will also need to progress work on these other policies and funding to support emissions reductions in agriculture. We expect to see evidence of this when the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan is released in May 2022.
Leading the way
We know that what we set out in our advice on the direction of policy will require a lot of work from farmers, but our analysis showed what we can achieve with the tools we have today. And we know that as technology continues to develop and as farmers find new ways of doing things, practical and feasible methods of emissions reductions will happen faster.
The onus to reduce agricultural emissions isn’t on farmers alone – change will require a collaborative team effort involving researchers, advisors, bankers, input suppliers, transport operators, processors, regulators, trade negotiators, industry leaders, and politicians.
Emissions reductions will be needed across the whole of economy and society, especially in how we produce and use energy, how we move around, and how we earn a living and live our lives.
We know we need to reduce agricultural emissions, and that any action will make a big difference.
