NZ Farm Emissions: Fed Farmers’ ETS Confusion
December 2nd, 2009
It’s history now, but in the wake of the rushed passage last week of the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Bill, there is some cause to reflect on the role played in the debate by the primary farming lobby, Federated Farmers. Something of a showdown was expected at the Federated Farmers’ annual national council meeting in Wellington the week before last, with addresses from both John Key and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith.
Instead, both Ministers got a polite hearing and a confusing message from the Feds, which hoist itself on the petard of its members’ expectation it would never back down from opposing the ETS, although it did at the last moment promote a limited carbon tax – a surprising position to take for an organisation which killed a carbon tax under the previous Govt by calling it the “fart tax.” Fed Farmers’ problem is in always appearing to oppose environmental initiatives more than support them. It has failed to demonstrate farmers’ willingness to contribute to the problem created by 50% of NZ’s GHG emissions coming from agriculture. Farming is among NZ’s most innovative sectors, showing productivity uptake since 1990 at an average of more than 3% a year – slightly ahead of the stretch target identified by the Treasury as vital if NZ is to deal with the looming public debt mountain, let alone climate change.
Rather than leverage this position, Fed Farmers has used it as a defensive after-thought, being driven by ongoing climate change scepticism among many of its members. Both the Feds’ economic spokesman and dairy section leader were still arguing the toss with Smith on climate change science at the council meeting. This has reduced the leadership’s credibility in Govt circles for claims farmers want to be part of the climate change solution. Smith continues to hew the line saying the evidence of human-induced global warming is now mounting up to warrant risk management. Whether the compromised legislation which went through the House last week will achieve this aim is a separate question, and one where Fed Farmers might have gained more traction if it hadn’t dedicated itself to fanning a victim mentality among farmers.
Copyright © Media Information Ltd
NZ Energy & Environment Business Week
Amalgamated Dairies