A National government will meet New Zealand’s climate change targets by super-charging renewable energy and unlocking new technology to reduce agricultural emissions, National’s Climate Change spokesperson Simon Watts says.

“National signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and is committed to meeting the Net Zero target by 2050.

“New Zealand must play its role in reducing emissions, but the way National is going to tackle climate change is very different from Labour and the Greens.

“National will target the key drivers of emissions - agriculture, energy, transport, and industry. National will embrace new technology, we will ensure we have the infrastructure New Zealand needs to double renewable energy generation and we will strengthen the economy in the process.

“Around half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture but finding a sustainable pathway to reduce agricultural emissions, when we are among the most emission efficient farmers in the world, without decimating our most important economic sector is a major long-term challenge for New Zealand.

“National is up for that challenge and that is why yesterday we announced we will remove the ban on gene technologies which will help give farmers the tools they need to reduce methane emissions through gene edited crops, feed, and livestock.

“National supports the recognition of on-farm sequestration, allowing landowners to earn Emissions Trading Scheme credits through other forms of carbon capture besides tree planting, such as restoring wetlands. This will reward those who put effort into removing carbon from the atmosphere and bring us closer to our emission targets.

“Forty per cent of our emissions come from transport and energy. Switching the transport and energy sectors to clean energy could deliver almost a third of the total emission reductions New Zealand needs to reach Net Zero by 2050.

“National’s plan to Electrify New Zealand will see renewable energy generation double. It makes no sense to encourage the shift to electric vehicles if the power comes from burning coal. New Zealand must have enough renewable electricity to meet the rising demand.

“National will turbo-charge new renewable power projects including solar, wind and geothermal by requiring decisions on resource consents to be issued in one year and consents to last for 35 years. National will also remove the need for consents for upgrading existing transmission and local lines infrastructure.

“Labour declared ‘climate change is this generation’s nuclear free moment’ but all they have done in six years is more than double coal imports.

“A National government will deliver on New Zealand’s climate change goals, fix the economy, reduce the cost of living, lift incomes, and deliver the public services New Zealanders deserve.

“National has announced the first two parts of our climate change policy. We will release our full climate change policy, including steps to reduce transport emissions, before the election.”

© Scoop Media