The New Zealand government has announced a number of policies in its 2018 budget to reduce emissions and encourage electrification of industry. This includes buses freight trucks and logistics. Down the line we can expect to see major cities such as Auckland to reach a tipping point where major adoption of EV’s will be wide spread stemming to the core of government vehicles, followed by freights and even movers Auckland who provide nationwide logistics. These policies will help reduce New Zealand’s carbon emissions while supporting further decarbonisation of the grid. New Zealand’s emissions profile is quite different from Australia’s, making it both a leader and laggard. In terms of primary energy mix, renewables account for 40% of the mix.
Process tracing
After years of emissions trading, New Zealand has taken a step toward reducing its fossil fuel use by using bioenergy and green hydrogen. The latter has widespread applications, including in hard-to-electrify areas. Bioenergy and green hydrogen are also a promising option to cut emissions from low-to-medium temperature process heat. Process tracing has the potential to improve productivity and energy resilience, while also reducing emissions.
Biogenic methane is one of the main greenhouse gases New Zealand is responsible for. It is responsible for 15% of its total emissions, and is controversial. Regardless of its cause, it should be reduced as much as possible. This is because biogenic methane regularly cycles between the atmosphere and plants and animals. Ultimately, biogenic methane emissions are a key contributor to climate change.
Coalition politics
During New Zealand’s attack on their zero emissions targets, the Coalition government found itself facing a difficult set of policy choices. While it was able to defend the integrity of the legislation, it also had to decide how far it was willing to accommodate other arguments and, in particular, whether to amend agricultural emissions. A consultation paper, produced by the Climate Change Authority (CCA), provided some insight into how the government went about this.
In late 2019, New Zealand’s climate legislation was passed, albeit with mixed results. The legislation had set a net zero emissions target by 2050 for CO2 emissions, including agriculture and forestry. However, MPs were forced to back a much weaker target for biogenic methane, a greenhouse gas that is produced by biological sources such as plants and animals. It is 30 times more potent than CO2 and stays in the atmosphere for about a decade before degrading.
Direct action
The government has recently passed multiparty climate legislation that includes a net zero emissions by 2050 target for its CO2 emissions. However, the legislation also includes a smaller target for biogenic methane. This means that New Zealand needs to tackle the issue of climate change now to avoid catastrophic consequences in the future.
In its discussion paper on the NZCA, the Ministry for the Environment outlined the challenges of transitioning to a zero-emissions society. It also addressed the risks of reduced economic growth, increased unemployment, and carbon leakage to countries with less stringent climate policies. Ultimately, the document seeks to build broad support for a zero-emissions society by focusing on compromise. While the government has not addressed all concerns regarding the transition, it has made it clear that it intends to be as fair as possible.
Traditional political activities
In New Zealand, the government respects the freedom to move and has no laws restricting people from changing their schools or jobs. New Zealand’s legal and regulatory framework is supportive of private business activity and strong protections of property rights. Although the government has adopted a zero emissions target, the attacks on this target have weakened the political environment in New Zealand. The following are some of the most important aspects of New Zealand’s environmental law:
First, New Zealand has a large dairy industry, the country’s largest emitter and export earner, and a vociferous regional constituency. Despite these factors, New Zealand has managed to align the dairy industry around a consensus that is rare in politics. The New Zealand government’s efforts have been fueled by political activity on the backbench rather than ministerial initiatives. In 2016, a cross-party group called Globe-NZ was formed. It was tasked with building a common evidence base and commissioned a report on the feasibility of a transition to a low-emissions economy.
Public consultation
The New Zealand Government has launched a public consultation process in the hope of establishing net zero emissions by 2050. The country has recently banned mining on conservation land, is transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy, and is supporting agricultural innovation. But the process is far from done. The government hopes to win cross-party support for its ambitious goal.
In Australia, the government has made similar announcements. New Zealand’s dairy industry occupies a similar position to coal, with both industries considered export bedrock. However, the government has allocated $710 million to reduce agricultural emissions and reforestation. It has also allocated $339 million to the development of high-impact agricultural technologies and practices. Greenpeace, for example, welcomed the announcement, and called on the government to ban new mining, oil drilling, fracking, and other forms of new industrial activity.