DairyNZ calls for 'split gas' Paris target

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle. Photo / Supplied

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DairyNZ is urging the Government's Independent Climate Change Commission to bring New Zealand's international emissions reduction targets in line with the domestic targets legislated in the Zero Carbon Act.

This would mean taking a split gas approach internationally, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle told The Country Early Edition's Rowena Duncum.

Domestically, the government has legislated a different emissions reduction target for long-lived gases like carbon dioxide, compared with a short-lived gas like methane.

But an international pledge via the Paris Accords of 2015 treated all greenhouse gases the same.

Listen below:

While New Zealand achieved a split gas approach last year in the Zero Carbon Act which was "a huge win for farmers", the issue was that that was only a domestic target, said Mackle.

"We still have our international obligations under the Paris Agreement which was put in place actually during the last government's time".

"At DairyNZ we asked the Government's Independent Climate Change Commission to bring our international emissions reductions targets essentially inline with our domestic targets ... legislated in the Zero Carbon Act, by taking that split gas approach internationally."

Mackle believed it was possible to do this, even though the Paris Accord was a substantial international agreement.

"At the end of the day it doesn't make sense to hold a view that having a split gas approach is the right thing to do domestically and not be willing to put the same forward on the world stage".

Also in today's interview: Mackle talked about how DairyNZ is also asking the Independent Climate Change Commission to review New Zealand's Zero Carbon targets, and he also gave an update on how level 3 is going, Moving Day and the DairyNZ levy.