Jamie Mackay: The Country host on the Government's plan for cutting greenhouse gases falling over

New reports indicate a critical part of the Government’s plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years appears to have fallen over.

A huge chunk of the Government’s climate success rests on a single project, which the owner now says probably won’t happen because it doesn’t stack up commercially.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right, Jammy McKay Hosts of the Countries with me now, hey,
Jomie evening. Ever, so it's becoming more and more apparent,
isn't it that the climate plan is just there are
holes all over this thing and it's not going to work,
is it.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, Well, this story I think I read it on
to be fair. I think it was on Farmers Weekly
this morning and it was news to me that a
critical part of the government's plan for cutting greenhouse gas
emissions over the next five years appears to have fallen
over because we are a chunk of the government's climate
success rested on a single project which the owner now

(00:36):
says probably won't happen because it doesn't stack up commercially
so full. You know, a third of the reductions they
needed between now and twenty thirty were supposed to come
from carbon dioxide being stashed permanently underground in Taranaki at
the Caperny gas field. Coperney's owner, Todd Energy, says the
project as future is uncertain unless it gets some kind

(00:59):
of extra incentive or subsidy from the government, something that's
not likely in this week's budget, I wouldn't think. And
apparently carb and capture and storage. I was unaware of this, heather.
You capture it in your store at underground and reservoirs
like empty gas fields, hopefully forever. The several multi billion
dollar projects underway overseas with mixed success, including one in

(01:23):
Australia that's looking a bit dodgy at the moment. So
there you go. Another one bites the dust.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Well, because you'll be aware that Simon Watts has apparently
been going around and assuring people who are concerned, and
I would suggest the people who are probably most concerned
about this climate plan will be farmers, assuring them that
actually this is just an ambition, right, We're not actually
going to meet these targets.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
You know about that? A, yeah, absolutely, And so we've
got this ambition. We've got these targets. But it would
appear to me at this stage anyhow, if we don't
meet them, we get slapped over the risk with the
West Wet bus tickets, right, I have them in the
first place, They're not going to be held to account.
It seems rather bizarre, and which leads me on to

(02:05):
what's in the budget for the farmers Heather, and I'm saying,
hopefully nothing. We've moved on from the days of the
bear and backy budgets from Rob Muldoon. What farmers don't want,
I can tell you this right away is unrealistic emissions
reductions targets that will only serve to hamstring the primary
sector and of course the nation's economy and the other

(02:26):
interesting one Field Day's coming up next month. I'm expecting
Heather dairy conversions to be the topic da jour or
one of them at field Days.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Interesting. Hey, Jamie, good to talk to you. I really
appreciate it. Thank you so much. We'll bring Jamie mckaie,
Host of the Country. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drave.
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