Andrew Hoggard: Associate Minister for Agriculture on possible new methane targets

A  government appointed scientific panel has found that by reducing our methane emissions to 24% by 2050 we would meet the goal of not seeing additional warming above 2017 levels.

But the climate change commission has warned there's no evidence to support changing the existing target of up to 47 percent. 

Associate Minister for Agriculture Andrew Hoggard says the government will work with the sector when looking at any changes to local regulations and targets.

"New Zealand farmers are some of the world’s most carbon efficient food producers. We can meet our obligations through innovation and technology,”

The government is now going over the panel's advice to decide on a new target next year.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So our methane emissions targets may be lowered. A government
appointed scientific panel has found by reducing our twenty to
fifty methane emissions targets, we could still meet the goal
of not seeing additional warming above twenty seventeen levels. The
Climate Change Commission has warned that there is no evidence
to support changing the existing target of up to forty

(00:20):
seven percent. The government is now going over the panel's
advice to decide on a new target from next year.
Andrew Hoggart is the Associate Minister for Agriculture. He's with
me this morning, Andrew, Good morning, Good morning, right, could
have you on the show? Minister? Tell me are you
Are you basically saying you will love the targets.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
No, this is just the scientific advice that we've received
and decisions will be made next year. We know from
my previous role my thoughts coredy and where the targets
should be. So yeah, this is just scientific advice to
inform the policy decision that government will be making.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Do you concede that it's not as good for the
planet but it's better for farmers?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, no, I mean what the science is saying here
is that no additional warming means that no additional warming. Basically,
the farming sector needs to reduce on what the world's
currently doing by fifteen percent, or if everyone else in
the world steps up, then we have to move up
to twenty four percent. But that's the sort of information

(01:25):
it's come back from this report, and you know, I
would think that our farmer is doing our part, not
adding to additional warming is what they want to be doing.
You know, parents A cords all about limiting additional warming
from one point five, we're saying for New Zealand agriculture,
what's the number for zero?

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah? This is the difference though, isn't it. It's the
expectation that the sort of parameters that have been set
for this, because it's about not exceeding twenty seventeen levels
versus the current targets, which are more about calling the planet.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, I mean, well no, the current targets are about
stopping warming to one and a half an extra one
and a half degrees, and so we're saying, in effect,
we're not going to add to that at all? Is
what this you know, this question is in a haus
water is the number farmers need to achieved to say

(02:17):
that Hey, we haven't added to the problem.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
You know, the farm land use changes that you've announced,
do you basely are you basically saying to farmers you
can do what you want with your land, but don't
expect carbon credits if it's productive farming land.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
That's pretty much in a nutshell.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yes, two hundred thousand hectares of productive sheep and beef
we're converted in the past five years. Do you have
an idea of what this change might mean for that
number going forward?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, obviously it'll reduce it. Then in terms of the
exact number, No, I wouldn't have that off the top
of my head, but it would sort of. You know,
what we've seen has been that the main driver for
a forestation has been the carbon price, and that's what's

(03:09):
driven a lot of their sales and changes of blanket
planting of farmland into forestry. And that's what's occurred. For
a number of years now. We've been hearing from those
real communities massive concern about going to the land effectively
into carbon forestry where there's no jobs, it's locked up

(03:30):
and becomes a bit of a fire risk and real
concern to their community.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Minister, just putting your biosecurity head on for a second.
What's the latest do you have testing results from that
second Dunedin farm that was being looked.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
At no When I wake up, I checked my phone
and there was nothing came through overnight, So it should
be at some point this morning we'll get the update
on all those other farms, which will give us a
real indication as to what spread is and how quickly
we can tidy this.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Up if it's confirmed, like if it's if it's there,
is that really bad?

Speaker 2 (04:07):
It'll depend on whether or not there's So this is
the Seeking farm south of Dnean. The question in my
mind will be do we have a trace between those
two properties? Is there a link between them? How if
we can't find a link between them? And also there
is some difference in the sequencing in terms of the

(04:31):
na of the disease. That then adds another variable to
the resk of is there something in the natural environment
that's causing this?

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, okay, and good to know. Andrew Haggard, thank you
very much for your time this morning. Really appreciate it.
The Associate Minister for Agriculture there on a range of issues.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
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