8 Gabrielle makes it to the top Vol 18 No 18, May 13, 2019
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Methane target levels surprise Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz
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HE level of long-term methane reduction targets announced by the Government last week surprised Victoria University climate change expert Professor Dave Frame but he’s telling farmers not to make too much of them. He is pleased the Zero Carbon Bill contains targets that differentiate between long and short-lived gases and that the targets will be subject to periodic revisions. However, the level of the methane reduction targets – 10% by 2030 and between 24% and 47% of 2017 levels by 2050 – is higher than he expected. “I’m a bit surprised that the Government have opted for methane targets that go well beyond the level of cuts needed to stabilise temperatures, which may invite a future government to re-open the issue but it’s important to note that the steeper end of the range of possible methane cuts would only be triggered if the rest of the world gets much more serious about climate mitigation. “It’s important not to make too much of targets as credibility will come from actual policies, not aspirations for 2030 or 2050.:” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged the importance of agriculture but climate change
is the biggest challenge and agriculture needed to be part of the solution. “That is why we have listened to the science and also heard the industry and created a specific target for biogenic methane,” she said. “The split gases approach we’ve agreed on is consistent with that commitment.” The provisional reduction targets for 2050 will be subject to review by the Independent Climate Change Commission in 2024 to take account of changes in scientific knowledge and other developments. The commission will support emissions reduction targets through advice, guidance and five-yearly emissions budgets. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle supports the direction of the Bill but questioned the science behind the 2050 targets, saying they are based on global scenarios and not grounded in a NZ context. “This range for methane, combined with reducing nitrous oxide to net zero goes beyond expert scientific advice for what is necessary for NZ agriculture to limit global warming to no more than at 1.5C,” he said. “If we get this wrong it will have significant impacts on not just the dairy sector but the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of NZ.” Beef + Lamb chairman Andrew Morrison said the Government is asking more of agriculture than
fossil fuel emitters elsewhere in the economy. Reduction targets should be based on the warming impact of each gas, he said. “An equitable approach requires carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide to go to net zero and methane to be reduced and stabilised by between 10% to 22%.” “It’s unreasonable to ask farmers to be cooling the climate, as the Government’s proposed targets would do, without expecting the rest of the economy to also do the same.” Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie said it is strange targets for agriculture do not allow farmers to offset emissions by planting trees, which is contrary to a recent report by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton. “It would lead to the bizarre situation where fossil fuel emitters can offset their emissions by buying forest but farmers cannot offset their emissions by planting forest on their own land.” Federated Farmers vicepresident Andrew Hoggard said the methane reduction targets send a message to farmers that NZ is prepared to give up on pastoral farming. “This decision is frustratingly cruel because there is nothing I can do on my farm today that will give me confidence I can ever achieve these targets. “Let’s be clear, the only way to achieve reductions of that level is to cut production.”
Winter started three months ago Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz HAMISH Wilson’s winter management started three months ago. Dry weather since New Year has forced the Clydevale, south Otago, farmer to feed silage and nuts to his stock since early March but despite recent rain Wilson will not get any let up with ewes going onto crops in a few weeks. A healthy 75mm to 80mm of rain last month eased extremely dry conditions over most of south Otago where about half the normal average rain has
fallen so far this year. Wilson says the rain helped feed quality but quantity is still short. Crops have responded to the rain and will help farmers get through winter, he says. He has bought 120 bales of lucerne balage and 12 tonnes of nuts to help him through late summer and autumn and sold half his 4000 lambs as store. Those lambs he did sell prime were about 1kg lighter than usual. The dry weather has prompted Wilson to consider growing lucerne as a backstop for future dry seasons.
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