Media Advisory

09 November 2001

PR169/01

KYOTO PROTOCOL - AT WHAT COST?

The New Zealand Government has embarked on a consultation process that will inform Cabinet decisions leading to ratification of the Kyoto Protocol next year.

Federated Farmers encourages all farmers to attend the nearest public meeting or forum and make it clear you do not accept the potentially negative impacts on the farming community from ratifying the Protocol.

Furthermore Federated Farmers encourages everyone to provide a submission to Government outlining the views and concerns with their intent to ratify the Protocol next year. Individual submissions will make a difference.

More information on the consultation process and the consultation document are available at www.climatechange.govt.nz where you can make an individual submission online.

The NZ Government will treat silence as acceptance on this matter

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE!!!

The Government is running a series of workshops and public meetings around the country to gain public feedback on whether it should sign up to the Protocol. Key points that should be understood include:

* Growing world concern about climate change and global warming led to 78 countries (including New Zealand) agreeing to the principles of the Kyoto Protocol. * * The Protocol is legally binding and aims to reduce world global greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. * * The Government of NZ has signalled its intention to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in September, 2002. * * NZ contributes around 0.2% to the world's total greenhouse gas emissions * * Approximately 55% of NZ's total emissions are from agricultural production, but the error margins for emissions estimates are ±25% for methane and ±85% for nitrous oxide. * * Ruminant livestock and agricultural soils releasing gas, are the primary sources of methane and nitrous oxide respectively. * * NZ agricultural exports face significant market access and tariff barriers. Higher production costs will impact on international competitiveness of NZ agriculture. * * Potential cost to the agriculture sector could be anywhere between $1-5 billion over the 2008-2012 commitment period. * * Excess emissions from agriculture, above 1990 levels, will need to be paid for through emissions taxes, emission unit auctions, or a production levy system. * * Further costs to agriculture will arise from on-farm use of fossil fuels in vehicles and machinery as well as processing of farm products. * * Research is urgently needed to develop low-cost technology to accurately measure on-farm emissions, and reduce emissions from livestock and soils without negatively impacting on productivity, product quality or market perception of the end product.

FEDERATED FARMERS NZ - KEY MESSAGES

NZ should not ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

If the Government does ratify the Kyoto Protocol and include agriculture:

The Government should seek to adopt policies that are will not affect our international trade, result in efficient resource allocation, and should:

* Treat all greenhouse gas emissions the same regardless of source, thereby ensuring costs are spread across the whole economy - so that agricultural producers are not unfairly burdened in relation to other emitters. * * Devolve responsibility for agricultural emissions to the farm level - so that any individual farmer is in a position to receive any potential benefit, and to decide on what least-cost action to take. * * Use a 2001 (not 1990) baseline for determining the allocation of responsibility among individual emitters - so that new farmers or farmers that may have changed land use since 1990 are not unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged given that their decisions were not related to climate change concerns. Any allocation should be made at a time when farmers can take this into account as part of their business planning. * * Develop practical cost-effective incentives to encourage emission reductions - so that the cost for farmers to use mitigation technologies is as low as possible.

Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) is working very hard at a national level to illustrate the possible effects on the agricultural industry to the Government.

For more information on the Kyoto Protocol as it impacts on farming or assistance in preparing your submission to Government, please contact Jacob Haronga on (0800) 327 646 or jharonga@fedfarm.org.nz

Climate Change Consultation
Schedule of Public and Interest Group Meetings

Listed below are the dates and times of the public meetings and extended special interest forums being held in the three weeks of public consultation on Climate Change (5 - 23 November 2001).

Please note that meeting locations for the centres being visited in the third week of consultation (19 - 23 November) are still being finalised. These locations/ venues will be posted on the Government’s Climate Change website as soon as they are confirmed, or a copy be sent to you by ringing the Government’s climate change information line 0800 WARMING (0800 927 646).

Roadshow meetings and forums were held 5 - 9 November in Manukau City, Waitakere City, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Masterton.

Auckland Region
Dates Time Venue
Auckland City
Forum
19 November 01
10am -1pm
Council Chamber Ground Floor, Vodafone House, cnr Pitt and Hopetoun Streets, Auckland City

Public 19 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Council Chamber Ground Floor, Vodafone House, cnr Pitt and Hopetoun Streets, Auckland City

North Shore
Forum 20 November 01 10am -1pm Bruce Mason Centre, Cnr Hurstmere Rd & The Promenade, Takapuna

Public
20 November 01
5.30pm -7.30pm Bruce Mason Centre, Cnr Hurstmere Rd & The Promenade, Takapuna

Waikato Region
Hamilton
Public 12 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Chartwell Square Room, Hamilton Gardens Pavillion, Cobham Drive, Hamilton

Forum 13 November 01 10am –1pm Hamilton City Council Reception Lounge, Municipal Building, Garden Place, Hamilton

Bay of Plenty Region
Tauranga
Public 13 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Village Hall, Compass Community Village, 17th Avenue West, Tauranga

Forum 14 November 01 10am –1pm Bay Nissan Hall, Compass Community Village, 17th Avenue West, Tauranga

Rotorua
Public
14 November 01
5.30pm -7.30pm
East Room, Rotorua Convention Centre, 1170 Fenton St, Rotorua

Forum 15 November 01 10am –1pm East Room, Rotorua Convention Centre, 1170 Fenton St, Rotorua

Taupo
Public 15 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Rimu Room, Great Lakes Centre, Storey Place, Taupo

Forum 16 November 01 10am –1pm Rimu Room, Great Lakes Centre, Storey Place, Taupo

Wellington Region
Wellington
Public 12 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Air NZ Suite, Wellington Town Hall, Wakefield St, Wellington

Forum 12 November 01 10am –1pm Chart Room, James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, 147 The Terrace, Wellington

Forum 13 November 01 10am –1pm Chart Room, James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, 147 The Terrace, Wellington

Lower Hutt
Public 13 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Woburn Room, Angus Inn, Cnr Waterloo Rd & Cornwall St, Lower Hutt

Porirua
Public 22 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm TBC

Forum 23 November 01 10am -1pm TBC

Northland Region
Whangarei
Public
21 November 01
5.30pm -7.30pm TBC

Forum 22 November 01 10am -1pm TBC
Kaikohe
Public
22 November 01
5.30pm -7.30pm
TBC

Forum 23 November 01 10am -1pm TBC
Nelson Region
Nelson
Forum 14 November 01 10am –1pm Council Chambers, Nelson City Council, Civic House,110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

Public 14 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Council Chambers, Nelson City Council, Civic House,110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

West Coast Region
Greymouth
Public 15 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Ashley Hotel, 74 Tasman St, Greymouth

Forum 16 November 01 10am –1pm Ashley Hotel, 74 Tasman St, Greymouth

Southland Region
Invercargill
Forum
19 November 01 10am -1pm Council Chambers, Invercargill City Council, Tay St, Invercargill
Public 19 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm Council Chambers, Invercargill City Council, Tay St, Invercargill

Otago Region
Dunedin
Forum

Public 20 November 01

20 November 01 10-1pm

5.30pm -7.30pm TBC

TBC

Canterbury Region
Christchurch
Public
Forum 21 November 01
22 November 01 5.30pm -7.30pm
10am -1pm TBC
TBC

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