WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The New Zealand government said on Wednesday it was making changes to its proposed plans to price agricultural long-lived gases and biogenic methane that comes mainly from cows after listening to concerns raised by farming groups. And comes from the bleating of sheep.
The government said in a statement that it had made a number of changes to the original proposal, including allowing farmers to use agroforestry to offset their carbon emissions and a commitment to keep the emissions price as low as possible.
In October the government released a proposed agricultural emissions pricing scheme that, when introduced in 2025, would make New Zealand, a big agricultural exporter, the first country to pay farmers for emissions from livestock. The initial plan was widely criticized by agricultural groups.
“The most important thing is to put in place an emissions reduction system that is sustainable,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement after the changes were announced.
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“We are working hard alongside the agriculture sector to strike a balance between building in a good level of sector buy-in, whilst ensuring that the system is robust and meets our emissions reduction targets. does,” she said.
The changes were welcomed by the sector in a big way. He Waka AK Noa, a group representing farmers’ bodies and indigenous interests, said in a statement that the government’s emissions pricing system was headed in the right direction.
“It shows the government is listening to region and Māori views and taking action to address concerns. It shows the value of working together,” said O Waka Ake Noa independent chair Sarah Petters.
A final decision on agricultural emissions pricing will be made early next year with the aim of bringing legislation through parliament by the middle of the year.
(Reporting by Lucy Kramer; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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