October 12, 2025 • 6 mins
Penny Simmonds says changes around farming methane emissions are a good start around helping farmers who just want to get on with the job.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to the Master. Penny Simmons as MP from
the Cargo as well as being Minister for the Environment
and joins us once again this afternoon, Penny Good. Afternoon
has been a pretty hectic thirty six hours for the
government of this release regarding emissions.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it has been and the and I've just come
out of speaking in christ Church this morning at the
International Adaptation Futures Conference, so it was interesting timing for me.
But yeah, it was good to be here and it
was good to get the announcement out yesterday about the
resetting of our Meet Dane targets. And we had said
(00:49):
this as we came into government that we would relook
at the targets and had the expert group set up
to look at the targets and look at difference scenarios.
They came up with a couple of different scenarios which
reflected between fourteen and twenty four percent. So we have
kept those that as our target range. So I think
(01:15):
it's really important that it's giving clarity and certainty to
our agricultural sectors and it means that now it's going
to be science driven, technology driven in partnership with our
agricultural sector to get there. So if you saw the announcements,
you'll have seen that all the key peak bodies from
(01:39):
the agricultural sector with their standing alongside us, and it
is about working in partnership with our agricultural sector, not
against them, not posing down farms here and not sending
emissions leakage off ashore. Seeing other farmers doing the work
that we could be doing, because we know that we
(02:00):
feed forty million people across the world and they have
to continue to be fed, and so we are better
to be having our various efficient farmers are doing that work.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Must have been like walking into the lines then of
that climate adaptation conference this morning, Well.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
It was an interesting situation because an international one and
so there was very much a focus on the Pacific Islands.
We had the minister from Tabalu there and you know
they're facing some really really difficult decisions, but we are
assisting them with significant amount of aid financial aid in
(02:41):
terms of helping them with their adaptation work. So they
are certainly getting recognized and assisted by New Zealand. But yeah,
they've got some difficult times ahead. Some of the smaller
island nations.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Interesting how you view this now the Senate's will suggest
that New Zealanders walking away from expectations regarding the rural
sector're regarding doing it bit for the climate. But I
suppose feeds are saying, well, why are we gon to
only fourteen twenty four percent? Should it be going lower?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, Look, we're never going to please everyone on this
those from You've seen their reactions from the Green Party.
They just want to make it higher and higher. There
are some farmers who would like us to walk away
from it together, but I think it was really important
to see that the peak bodies were there beside us. Yep,
(03:33):
they probably would like it at the lower end, at
the fourteen percent end. There are others that would like
to see us pushed beyond the twenty four percent. So
I think that what we've done is take advice from experts,
look at what we can do with science and technology.
Because we do not want to be shutting down our
(03:55):
biggest export earn our industry that feeds forty million people.
We don't want to be sending that offshore. So we
need to be working with our agriculture sector and it
needs to be possible to do and we believe with
the science and technology that we're investing, and we're investing
millions in ensuring that there is a science and technology
(04:18):
there to assist their armors.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Is there a chance that our trading partners might look
at this as a cop out on their behalf regarding emissions.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, Look, they're always looking for excuses, particularly trading partners
that have got agricultural sectors, are always looking for excuses
of being able to say why they, you know, should
be putting tariffs and things on our produce. But Ireland
is going down a similar track and we are going
(04:48):
to meet our emissions target by twenty fifty, So, you know,
I think there's always that chance that trading partners are
always looking for a reason why they can what barriers
in place for us.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I read an article this morning. It was pretty condemning
about the whole thing. One paragraph just very quickly saying
the only thing this announcement is missing is an explicit
declaration that climate change isn't happening or it's not caused
by humans, although in its effects, the clear message the
announcement seends is one of indifference too, if not denial
(05:24):
of the hard reality of the climate crisis. Or is
that just terminology at play well.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
You must be reading the Green Party's website. I think
in the Green Party's website note the greet, Oh wasn't that.
Look there will be critics. There will be critics from
the Green side that we are not doing enough. This
is not about saying there isn't climate change. It's not
about saying we're not going to meet our missions. It
(05:51):
is about saying we're giving certainty to our farmers. It's
about saying we're following the science in this and that
we are going to work with our agricultural sector to
get to those targets.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Rest assured it wasn't on the Green Party site, Penny Simmons.
But always appreciate your time on the muster.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Enjoy the week, Thank you, surpise, laugh.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Out loud with a proud because life on the land
can be the laughing matter brought to us by sheer
well data working to help the livestock farmer. Not all
construction work is equally enjoyable. For example, and larger a
drilled whole is boring, But fastening pieces of metal together
it's riveting. That's us for the afternoon. My name's Andy Muhy.
(06:39):
You've been listening to the muster on Hakanui thanks to
Peters and the Unix, the bodast going up shortly. Remember
the beef am agm tomorrow, and Butcluther catch you tomorrow
Welcome back to the Master. Penny Simmons as MP from
the Cargo as well as being Minister for the Environment
and joins us once again this afternoon, Penny Good. Afternoon
has been a pretty hectic thirty six hours for the
government of this release regarding emissions.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it has been and the and I've just come
out of speaking in christ Church this morning at the
International Adaptation Futures Conference, so it was interesting timing for me.
But yeah, it was good to be here and it
was good to get the announcement out yesterday about the
resetting of our Meet Dane targets. And we had said
(00:49):
this as we came into government that we would relook
at the targets and had the expert group set up
to look at the targets and look at difference scenarios.
They came up with a couple of different scenarios which
reflected between fourteen and twenty four percent. So we have
kept those that as our target range. So I think
(01:15):
it's really important that it's giving clarity and certainty to
our agricultural sectors and it means that now it's going
to be science driven, technology driven in partnership with our
agricultural sector to get there. So if you saw the announcements,
you'll have seen that all the key peak bodies from
(01:39):
the agricultural sector with their standing alongside us, and it
is about working in partnership with our agricultural sector, not
against them, not posing down farms here and not sending
emissions leakage off ashore. Seeing other farmers doing the work
that we could be doing, because we know that we
(02:00):
feed forty million people across the world and they have
to continue to be fed, and so we are better
to be having our various efficient farmers are doing that work.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Must have been like walking into the lines then of
that climate adaptation conference this morning, Well.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
It was an interesting situation because an international one and
so there was very much a focus on the Pacific Islands.
We had the minister from Tabalu there and you know
they're facing some really really difficult decisions, but we are
assisting them with significant amount of aid financial aid in
(02:41):
terms of helping them with their adaptation work. So they
are certainly getting recognized and assisted by New Zealand. But yeah,
they've got some difficult times ahead. Some of the smaller
island nations.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Interesting how you view this now the Senate's will suggest
that New Zealanders walking away from expectations regarding the rural
sector're regarding doing it bit for the climate. But I
suppose feeds are saying, well, why are we gon to
only fourteen twenty four percent? Should it be going lower?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, Look, we're never going to please everyone on this
those from You've seen their reactions from the Green Party.
They just want to make it higher and higher. There
are some farmers who would like us to walk away
from it together, but I think it was really important
to see that the peak bodies were there beside us. Yep,
(03:33):
they probably would like it at the lower end, at
the fourteen percent end. There are others that would like
to see us pushed beyond the twenty four percent. So
I think that what we've done is take advice from experts,
look at what we can do with science and technology.
Because we do not want to be shutting down our
(03:55):
biggest export earn our industry that feeds forty million people.
We don't want to be sending that offshore. So we
need to be working with our agriculture sector and it
needs to be possible to do and we believe with
the science and technology that we're investing, and we're investing
millions in ensuring that there is a science and technology
(04:18):
there to assist their armors.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Is there a chance that our trading partners might look
at this as a cop out on their behalf regarding emissions.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, Look, they're always looking for excuses, particularly trading partners
that have got agricultural sectors, are always looking for excuses
of being able to say why they, you know, should
be putting tariffs and things on our produce. But Ireland
is going down a similar track and we are going
(04:48):
to meet our emissions target by twenty fifty, So, you know,
I think there's always that chance that trading partners are
always looking for a reason why they can what barriers
in place for us.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I read an article this morning. It was pretty condemning
about the whole thing. One paragraph just very quickly saying
the only thing this announcement is missing is an explicit
declaration that climate change isn't happening or it's not caused
by humans, although in its effects, the clear message the
announcement seends is one of indifference too, if not denial
(05:24):
of the hard reality of the climate crisis. Or is
that just terminology at play well.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
You must be reading the Green Party's website. I think
in the Green Party's website note the greet, Oh wasn't that.
Look there will be critics. There will be critics from
the Green side that we are not doing enough. This
is not about saying there isn't climate change. It's not
about saying we're not going to meet our missions. It
(05:51):
is about saying we're giving certainty to our farmers. It's
about saying we're following the science in this and that
we are going to work with our agricultural sector to
get to those targets.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Rest assured it wasn't on the Green Party site, Penny Simmons.
But always appreciate your time on the muster.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Enjoy the week, Thank you, surpise, laugh.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Out loud with a proud because life on the land
can be the laughing matter brought to us by sheer
well data working to help the livestock farmer. Not all
construction work is equally enjoyable. For example, and larger a
drilled whole is boring, But fastening pieces of metal together
it's riveting. That's us for the afternoon. My name's Andy Muhy.
(06:39):
You've been listening to the muster on Hakanui thanks to
Peters and the Unix, the bodast going up shortly. Remember
the beef am agm tomorrow, and Butcluther catch you tomorrow
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