Submission

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade consultation on New Zealand’s approach to the 2021 international climate change negotiations

The Federation has a long history of engaging in climate policy both in New Zealand and internationally. This includes engaging in both policies designed to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as policies designed to improve New Zealand’s ability to adapt to the impacts expected to occur as a result of climate change. We are also actively involved in the climate change workstream of the World Farmers Organisation (WFO). 

We are committed to the New Zealand agricultural sector achieving a 2050 goal of becoming warming-neutral, consistent with the 2015 Paris Agreement. Such a goal requires that short-lived flow GHG emissions (biogenic methane) are reduced, but not to net-zero, by 2050 and that long-lived stock GHG emissions (being mainly carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) are reduced to net-zero by 2050. 

The Federation recommends that New Zealand’s split gas approach be promoted at COP26 as a means of assisting other parties to address the same issues alternative metrics are designed to resolve. This approach should be taken while also progressing work on promoting more fit-for-purpose alternative metrics (such as CGTP and GWP*) that are based on the additional warming effect of biogenic methane.