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The place for NZ oriented news releases on climate change and related energy policy.

Greens supply the answers to the power plant puzzle
Green Co-leader and Energy spokesperson Jeanette Fitzsimons has noted some gaping holes in the Government’s explanation for building a new oil-fired power plant at Whirinaki. In the interests of furthering understanding of just how we found ourselves in an energy crisis this winter, she provides the answers the Minister didn’t give.

Q Why is this site in Hawkes Bay being used for a new power plant?

A: Because there used to be one there, and there are resource consents already for the site.

A virtuous marriage blessed by Kyoto
Meridian Energy's proposed deal with the Dutch over carbon credits from the Te Apiti wind farm is the Kyoto Protocol in action.
It demonstrates two of the virtues of that enfeebled agreement: It is an international deal, recognising that global warming is a global challenge and it is immaterial to the atmosphere where on the planet greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, so long as they are.

Netherlands could fund NZ wind farm
Meridian Energy's planned wind farm at Te Apiti, in the Manawatu, will generate not only electricity but also carbon credits, which the company plans to sell to the Dutch. "

NZ-US climate change partnership projects
Senior officials from New Zealand and the United States met in Wellington today to consolidate cooperation under the bilateral climate change partnership. Through this initiative, the U.S. and New Zealand have committed to enhanced bilateral dialogue and practical cooperation on climate change.

Inquiry into the New Zealand electricity industry
The Commerce Committee has called for submissions on this inquiry. The terms of reference for this inquiry are as follows:

The Commerce Committee will consider:
- what the electricity generation companies do in order to ensure balance is struck between thermal and hydro generation, to give security of supply in dry years
- the asset utilisation by electricity generation companies and their planning for capacity development
- the workability of corporate separation of generation and retail activities of the electricity generation companies"
(more)
- submissions due 31 July

Agricultural emissions research levy
Government funding of agricultural greenhouse gases research since 1999 has increased more than five-fold and farmers have to contribute, says Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton.

Government rules abandoned at the coal face
Basic rules of state-owned enterprises, which are supposed to run entirely on commercial grounds, were effectively abandoned by the Government during the winter power crisis. "

Threats as Sutton holds line on levy
Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton yesterday invited farmers' ideas on how to collect and administer the unpopular flatulence tax on livestock then later threatened to legislate to enforce its payment if necessary.
He also stuck by the line in Parliament that it was a research levy, not a tax, then proceeded to call it a tax, much to the delight of the Opposition, which insists that it is a tax.
And he implied that farmers were wealthy enough to afford an extra $300 or $400 a year payment.
The tax (or levy) will total $8.4 million a year and will pay for research on methane emission. It is part of the Government's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
'There is no proposal for a tax on flatulence,' Mr Sutton said in response to questions from National's David Carter. 'There never has been.'

Forestry Industry Stumped by Kyoto
New forest planting volumes are plummeting in New Zealand, as Government policy on the Kyoto Protocol is based on increasing areas of trees.
The economics of forestry mean many small-scale plots are not being replanted as trees are cut. This trend coincides, particularly in Canterbury, with shelter belts and other forest blocks being removed to make way for dairying.
Forestry business consultant Alan Ogle says economic conditions drive planting decisions, and now the non-corporate forest sector is disillusioned with all values, except the best quality logs. New planting is down to about 20,000-hectares a year, from 100,000ha in 1992. "

Farmers to formulate gas tax-fighting strategy
Federated Farmers wrapped up its annual conference in Auckland yesterday with a resolution to keep fighting against the proposed farm animal gas emissions levy.
On a lively final day that included a protest march up Queen Street, the federation set up a committee of five members to investigate what form protests will take.
Hodgson told the federation in a letter that there would be no more farmer consultation meetings on the issue.
He said it was disappointing to see farmers trying to deny climate change had anything to do with them or their future.
The Government had exempted farmers from emissions charges until at least 2012, and was already providing $5 million a year for research into greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
'All that farmers have been asked for in return is $8.4 million a year to fund more research,' he said.
'But it seems that farming leaders would rather learn nothing, know nothing and do nothing.'
Hodgson has accused Federated Farmers' head office of beating up a campaign against the levy. "

Blair Tells Congress Not to Ignore Global Warming
British Prime Minister Tony Blair told U.S. lawmakers they cannot ignore the problem of world climate change.
Mr. Blair said in his speech to Congress Thursday that climate change, deforestation, and the draining of natural resources will stop world economic growth, especially in developing nations.
The prime minster said the world has to go beyond the Kyoto treaty and look toward science and technology to fight environmental problems."

Abatement of Agricultural Non-Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Emissions :
MAF Paper

Farmers give Sutton a rough ride over gas tax:
Agriculture Minister and cattle farmer Jim Sutton is in for another rough ride.
As the dapper, floppy-fringed Sutton arrives at Federated Farmers' annual conference, in a stuffy room at Auckland's Mercure Hotel, hand-painted placards sprout among the crowd of 100 or so delegates, nearly all middle-aged men.

Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ Inc

Government should stay firm with methane levy

Federated Farmers' campaign to get out of paying the methane levy is
hypocritical and self-indulgent and should be ignored as the temper
tantrum of a spoilt child says the Environment and Conservation
Organisations of NZ (ECO).

If the farmers refuse to pay the methane reduction research levy, then
the government should bring forward the greenhouse gas charges and ask
them to pay those instead, says ECO Chairperson, Cath Wallace.

"Farmers are already being indulged. At $8million they are being asked
to pay a fraction of the research costs. This is peanuts compared with
an estimated $125 million if they were to pay a charge of $25/tonne
carbon equivalent for methane emissions greater than the 1990 base
line.*

"Federated Farmers is making environmentally responsible farmers cringe.
Many farmers are well aware that farmers bleating about droughts and
floods one minute, and then refusing to pay even a fraction of the costs
of the research to reduce the climate-altering pollution their industry
is causing, just does not stack up. This is even more so when that
research is likely to have the double dividend of increased productivity
of feed conversion by animals.

"Federated Farmers is doing everyone a disservice. The problem is real:
the Feds need to get real too. This is not a problem that the
government is
creating: it is a problem that we all have to respond to and we all have
to take our share of the cost of responding."

"It is not good enough for Federated Farmers to suggest that somehow,
when it comes to them, polluter pays does not apply. More than half of
New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions (in carbon equivalent terms) are
methane, and most of that comes from livestock."

"Farmers who agree that climate change is a serious issue and who
recognise the need to reduce emissions for the sake of the future, say
that they are deeply embarrassed at the way Federated Farmers and other
farm organisations are behaving. As one put it to me, Federated
Farmer's response to the problem is "infantile and embarrassing".

"It is childish - and factually incorrect - to imply that the emissions
from sheep and cattle is flatulence. It is well known that 95% of the
methane emissions from these animals is from burping." These farmers
seem not to know one end of their animals from another, says Wallace.

Chris de Freitas:NZ missing targets in bid to curb greenhouse gases

It's official and the news is not good: New Zealand is falling behind in its efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to meet targets set by the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to combat global warming that this country signed last December.

Chris de Freitas ' article printed above is a re-run of an article a month ago in National Buisiness Review. If fundamentaly mis-represents new Zealand's commitments under Kyoto.
This was my response to the earlier article:

Defending Kyoto

Garry Law

In the debate last year over ratifying the Kyoto there were many assertions about how climate change ought to be being tackled and how climate treaties ought to have been negotiated. Some of these continue in circulation in some business sectors. If they continue to believe some of what is circulating they will never be effective in lobbying on detail of where the international agreements can go next.

Looking at some current ones.

By ratifying the Kyoto Protocol New Zealand has undertaken to reverse its growing emissions. New Zealand is obliged through Kyoto to reduce emission to 1990 levels by 2012. This means reducing emissions about 25% from the business as usual level by 2012.

This is not correct. New Zealand's commitment is to meet 1990 levels measured net after sinks. New Zealand will have large amounts of "Kyoto" forest sinks for the first commitment period. They will easily cover the business-as-usual growth in emissions. The obligation is to comply - which for any nation can include by utilisation of sinks or by buying credits, not just emission reduction.

New Zealand will have to give up over one third of its energy use.

No, as Kyoto targets are made tighter New Zealand will either have to reduce its net emissions after sinks, or buy in credits to cover the excess emissions.
It can achieve reductions in net emissions after sinks a number of ways. Giving up one third of its energy use is alarmist and, given that we don’t know the future commitment period requirements, speculative. Renewable energy to help with energy demand growth, better efficiency in use, so we don’t need so much will as well, more forest planting to provide more sinks and methane emission reduction to free emissions for carbon dioxide are all more likely.

Emission reduction cannot happen in the economy as we know it. The infrastructure for emission sources lasts a long time after initial investment and will influence the emissions profile for some time.

The likely timetable of change is decades and is consistent with investment lives. But we need to have foresight and look at the risk involved in building things like coal fired power stations, where the cost of emissions may prove crippling when compared to lower emission alternatives.

Even if the Kyoto signatories meet their commitment, the climate science community is unanimous on the view its impact on global warming would be imperceptible.

So what should we do - aim for a one time 10% worldwide cut in emissions over a couple of years say? Surprise - the impact on global warming would still be imperceptible. What is needed to limit the change in the long term is to cap the GHG concentration level in the atmosphere. That will be a century long task. One commitment period of five years is never going to make a difference on its own. It is a long term problem - it needs a long term solution.

The fact is that the Kyoto Protocol's targets are not based on science. Its targets and timetables were arrived at arbitrarily as a result of political negotiations.

Kyoto is fundamentally a trade agreement. Governments do not pass trade agreements to scientists to negotiate. The targets are arrived at by multilateral negotiations, which if less than rational are not arbitrary. UNFCCC has two standing committees one of which is the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. It assesses the need for information and provides it to the members, much of it is supplied by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in response to requests from SBSTA. IPCC’s work is done by scientists and economists.

Kyoto fails to establish long-term goals based on science,

It is deliberately gradualist, because firstly there is no consensus on the sort of reduction that will ultimately be required, only that there will be a reduction of some size, and because it sought to establish mechanisms for international trading to allow the cheapest reduction opportunities to be used. The mechanisms will have long term value

Kyoto is ineffective in addressing climate change because it excludes major parts of the world.

It does not exclude them. Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Mexico have ratified among the developing industrial nations. It is simply politically unrealistic to expect developing nations to have taken on targets in a first round. The problem is one that is to date largely created by the developed world.

In agreeing the UNFCCC in the developed world accepted the obligation to go first. To insist there should be emission limits on everyone is not realistic. It involves allocating emission rights between the developed and the developing world. That will be a long battle. The developing world will be prepared to start if they see the developed world (including the US) is serious about starting on addressing its contribution to the problem. Many of them are seriously concerned about the effects. They will not be immune to doing something about it themselves. And anyway the Annex 1 countries will not let them (or the US) free ride for long.

Garry Law is the climate change spokesperson for the Environmental Defence Society. He attended COP 6 and 7.

Australia Introduces New Fuel-Consumption Label on Cars
The Australian government has introduced a new fuel consumption label for new car models that lists both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Dr. David Kemp, minister for the environment and heritage, said the fuel consumption label scheme had been expanded to include emission figures for carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, in addition to the current fuel consumption information.

Farmers to be heard on levy
Farmers angry about the Government's proposed animal emissions levy will get the chance to voice their concerns to Environment Minister Pete Hodgson.
After meeting Federated Farmers vice-president Charlie Pedersen, the minister has agreed to attend meetings about plans to levy farmers $8.4 million for research into animal flatulence.

Aust and NZ form green alliance
Australia and New Zealand forged a trans-Tasman environmental alliance designed to help combat global warming.
The practical venture is outside the Kyoto Protocol framework and will see both countries focus on ways to address climate change in the region.
Australia continues to argue against the Kyoto Protocol world pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming.

Farmers must carry their share of load
Comment by ALEXANDER GILLESPIE
Farmer protests against a flatulence tax that would fund research into reducing methane emissions are regrettable. The spin being put on this issue by some interested parties seeks to mislead the public on important scientific, legal and policy facts.

The debate on methane has failed to note the significance of this gas - in particular, its build-up, its sources, and why it is different to the other greenhouse gases.

Statistics NZ won't help Govt with gas tax
STATISTICS New Zealand has reassured farmers that any information they collect on livestock numbers will not be used to determine levy liabilities.

The assurances come after Taranaki Federated Farmers at yesterday’s emissions levy consultation in Palmerston North threatened to withhold livestock figures.

Farmers also wanted to know whether officials would be using agricultural census information they had been told was confidential.

Officials admit possible $1 billion Kyoto windfall
Gerry Brownlee National Party, Ilam MP
Farmers have been delivered another slap in the face by the Government at a meeting over the so-called 'flatulence tax' in Christchurch, according to National Party Ilam MP Gerry Brownlee.

GHG emissions go on growing
Greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand's energy sector continue to grow, according to the latest available statistics.

The report New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2002, released today, shows that the energy sector's gross carbon dioxide emissions grew by 2.7 percent from 2001 to 2002. Average annual growth since 1990 was 2.4 percent.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, New Zealand is obliged to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels, on average, over 2008-2012, or take responsibility for emissions above that level.

"These figures emphasise the challenge we face in halting growth in emissions and securing a reduction in the long term," said the Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, Pete Hodgson.

DRAFT ECO-EFFICIENT MOTOR VEHICLES STRATEGY - EECA
Introduction
The draft Eco-Efficient Motor Vehicles (EEMV) Strategy aims to improve the fuel economy and reduce carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions 1 of the transport sector in New Zealand. This will be achieved through built-in improvements arising
from the consumer purchase of fuel efficient motor vehicles and lower net carbon content fuels. Motor vehicles
with good fuel economy use less fuel per km driven and so produce less CO2 emissions per km driven than vehicles
with poor fuel economy.

Farmers show fury at gas levy
Farmers gave Government officials a fiery welcome at the first in a nationwide series of meetings on how they will pay a greenhouse gas emission levy.

The 80 farmers who attended the meeting in Hamilton yesterday refused to accept that they should pay the levy.

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