New Zealand: New Zealand Climate and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy

Even though New Zealand’s total greenhouse gas emissions rose 21% during the period1990-2013, agricultural emissions rose at a slower pace of about 14% over the same period. However, emissions per unit of agricultural production have been declining by approximately 1% per year. The Government of New Zealand is committed to reducing emissions to below 1990 levels by 2020, with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions by 50% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Government of New Zealand stated in a recent cabinet paper that its climate change targets “are a stiff challenge given that half of our current emissions come from agriculture”.

New Zealand: New Zealand Climate and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy