Land use change in New Zealand and its intersection with climate change policy

IIEA Talks

New Zealand’s emissions profile is even more heavily weighted towards biogenic emissions than Ireland’s. However, the country’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) has only targeted emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel. Attempts to extend it to agricultural emissions have been controversial and unsuccessful to date although current government policy is to target methane emissions by 2030. The ETS does, however, have a powerful influence on land use decisions. Emitters have unlimited recourse to forestry units as a means of meeting their obligations. Carbon forestry can deliver higher returns than sheep and beef on much of the hill country, resulting in tens of thousands of hectares being forested. In his address to the IIEA, Simon Upton discusses New Zealand’s climate policies and how the distortions that have resulted pose significant challenges for the future of both land use and emissions reductions. About the Speaker: Simon Upton was sworn in as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for a five-year term on 16 October 2017. Simon is now in his second 5-year term. Mr Upton is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a Rhodes Scholar, with degrees in English literature, music and law from the University of Auckland, and an MLitt in political philosophy from Oxford University. He was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council in 1999. A Member of Parliament between 1981 and 2000, Mr Upton held a variety of ministerial portfolios including environment, research, biosecurity, health and state services between 1990 and 1999. After leaving Parliament, Mr Upton moved to Paris to chair the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2005, he returned to New Zealand to pursue a number of private sector roles while continuing to chair the Round Table.