MTA says ETS review clears the air

Motor Trade Association (MTA) welcomes Government’s report on the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), released yesterday. The certainty now provided through this review will help clear the air around an issue that has until now been subject to much debate and strong opinion.

MTA Advocacy and Training General Manager, Dougal Morrison, congratulated the Government on the outcome of the review report particularly on changes to how synthetic greenhouse gases (SGG’s) should be included under ETS.

MTA has lobbied to have a simple levy at the border on vehicles, which contain SGG’s in their air conditioning systems and the review team supports this. This, along with the proposal to remove the exemption for those importing low numbers of vehicles, will now make the scheme more equitable and easier to administer. MTA also supports prohibiting the deliberate release of SGG’s.

“For some time now, we have strongly supported mandatory vehicle emissions testing for vehicles. If vehicles greater than say 10 years old were tested and gross emitters repaired or taken off the road, this would have an immediate, and demonstrable benefit on air quality. This in turn will help maintain New Zealand’s clean green image.”

“We believe that ETS is the easiest and simplest method to encourage a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and we are pleased with the progress being made,” says Morrison.

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