5. SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What steps has the Government recently taken to help New Zealand’s agriculture sector meet its climate change obligations?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
On Tuesday I announced that the Government, as part of the Primary Growth Partnership, will establish the Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research. This bricks and mortar centre will be focused solely on developing solutions for reducing New Zealand’s agricultural emissions. The work of the centre will be vital in securing New Zealand’s future economic growth by delivering effective and affordable abatement technologies to the primary sector.
The Government is committed to ensuring that New Zealand meets its climate change obligations. Because of our unique greenhouse gas profile, with around 50 percent of our emissions coming from agriculture, very simply we have to find solutions to reduce agricultural emissions. The ongoing funding certainty from Government will provide the incentives for scientists and industry to commit to long-term projects required to solve these emission challenges.
This centre is just the beginning. Our intention is that the New Zealand centre will link internationally and play a major role in an international research centre. A ministerial steering group is currently developing a set of principles to guide New Zealand’s work in this area, as well as funding commitments. My colleague the Hon Tim Groser informs me that the concept of an international research centre has been received with considerable interest and support overseas. This is of global significance to a collective effort, and New Zealand must be at the forefront of this work.
David GarrettHas the Minister seen any reports on the cost to the agriculture sector of an emissions trading scheme; if so, how do those figures compare with the $6 billion reduction in GDP and decline in farm values of over 40 percent projected by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research?