Wayne Langford: Federated Farmers President on ACT's call to withdraw from the Paris Agreement

Farmers are pushing ACT and New Zealand First for less politicking and more action.  

The two parties have expressed interest in withdrawing from the global Paris Agreement unless more realistic emissions targets are produced to fight climate change.  

But Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says they're in government and could be resolving the problems creating uncertainty for farmers now.  

He told Andrew Dickens the Paris Agreement in itself isn't necessarily the problem.  

Langford says we need to dig deeper and look at what's setting Paris back, because it's actually what we're setting on ourselves as a government. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are our climate targets getting in the way of our productivity?
Both act in New Zealand first have pledged to pull
out of the Paris Accords on their serious changes are made.
They say this is to stop putting pressure on farmers.
So how do farmers feel about this move? Wayne Langford
is Fed Farmers National President and joins me, Now go
on into your Wayne morning Andrek, what do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I mean, it's the start of an encouraging conversation, but
I mean it's a bit of political postom. I think
really what we'd like is some action being taken to
to actually make those changes, rather than just talking about it.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yes, we all know that the Paris Climate Accords for
the globe and not working. The emission trading scheme is
not working. It needs to be changed. But wood pulling
out of the accords actually put us in the naughty
corner and hurt farmers more.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, that's you know, that's certainly one view on it.
That the challenge for us is why the government just
getting on and making the changes that are needed so
that not only the rulesick that can prosper, but also
the New Zealand compostor because as you mentioned, it is
holding back some of the New Zealand's prosperity. And that's
what the two parties are talking about. They're saying, Hey,

(01:08):
how do we adjustice to make this a fit better
of what New Zealand is? Well, the last time I checked,
how you guys are in government? Why don't you change it?
Get on and do it.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
So let me get this right. Are you saying, yes,
stay in the Paris Climate Accords, but for God's sake,
try and make some changes to the whole things. Meanwhile
in our domestic economy, make things more rational.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, what we're saying is the climate rules were set
for ourselves, a New Zealand hero. What causing the problem
not necessarily the Paris Agreement in itself. So we've got
overly ambitious methane targets. We're planning, we're doing full farm
from conversions into forestry conversions. We were still talking about planning,
pricing and egg commissions. Why don't we just scrapple that.

(01:49):
Why don't we get that sorted so that farmers know
where we're sitting and we know what we're doing in
the country.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
I'm getting a few techs from farmers right now. Who's saying, look,
I'm carbon neutral already. You know, we're actually doing a
very good job of producing very efficient meat with as
low a mission as you can possibly have. So are
farmers feeling more appreciated with this new government than before?

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Definitely, definitely they are, and we're certainly seeing that and
the results that we're getting through in our surveying as well.
And while there is a lot of sentiment out there
around pulling out of Paris, I think when you dig
deeper and they're looking to what's actually holding Paris back,
it is actually what we're setting on ourselves as the government.
And that's what that's what we're saying about this announcement. Hey,
we appreciate the conversation. We like what you're talking about here.

(02:34):
Both acton news on first. But by the way you
guys are in government, you guys can make these changes. Now,
just get on and make these changes that farmers have
got a clear road ahead.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Wayne. I thank you so much, Wayne Langford from Federated Farmers.
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