Government Moves on Emission Trading Scheme Not Enough

Government Moves on Emission Trading Scheme Not Enough

Press release by Chairman of Pastural Farming Climate Research Inc Robin Grieve

Wednesday 4 July

The Government’s announcement that it intends delaying the entry of biological emissions pending the outcome of a review of the ETS in 2015 will not help farmers said Mr Grieve.

“Farmers have much to fear about this ETS and the uncertainty of substantial future liabilities. These changes do nothing to remove these” Mr Grieve said.

“The Government needs to do more than delay the entry of biological emissions to the emission trading scheme, they should be removed all together. This is because there is no reason to include them. Biological emissions are quite different to fossil sourced emissions and should not be treated in the same manner. They are sourced from the atmosphere, not underground, and when the animal emits them it is just part of a neutral cycle.”

“If global warming is happening it is not being caused by livestock biological emissions. No scientific link exists between these emissions and any increase in the atmospheric concentration of any greenhouse gas.”

Mr Grieve also disputed claims made by the Green Party that we need to include biological emissions in our ETS because international consumers demand it. “No other country has or intends putting a price on these emissions, so they are hardly likely to demand we do” said Mr Grieve

Mr Grieve also makes the point that there is no truth in the claims made by Labour that by not charging farmers, and in turn the consumers of milk and meat for these emissions that farmers are receiving a subsidy.

“Those who make this claim do not understand the ETS. Not one dollar is taken from a taxpayer and paid to anyone because farmers are not currently paying for these emissions. This is because biological emissions are not due to enter the ETS until 2015 and until then there is no cost to these emissions and no truth to the claim that if farmers are not paying for them the taxpayer is” said Mr Grieve.

“Obligations and liabilities under the ETS are quite separate to any international obligations and liabilities New Zealand has under the Kyoto Protocol. There is no link between them. The money we pay as motorists and power users under the ETS does not go towards meeting any international obligations. New Zealand is meeting its Kyoto commitments at no cost to the taxpayer, and would have done so without an ETS. The Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of this year and we have no other international obligations. This means there would be no cost to the taxpayer if biological emissions were removed from the ETS all together” said Mr Grieve.

ENDS

Pastural Farming Climate Research is an incorporated society with 1500 farmer members formed to seek and promote the truth about livestock emissions.

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