Groundswell NZ Proposes Emissions Reduction Alternative

The proposals put forward under the He Waka Eke Noa Partnership are so unworkable that Groundswell NZ is proposing its own alternative, Groundswell NZ leader Bryce McKenzie said.

“None of the options are workable and, like the Emissions Trading Scheme, they will deliver worse outcomes for the environment, farmers, and our country.”

“We back Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard’s view, that none of the options are long term solutions and that an emissions tax, without affordable and practical new technologies, would kill off the farming sector.”

“Groundswell NZ’s alternative is an integrated environmental policy framework incentivising and enabling on the ground actions across all aspects of the environment, including freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, and emissions.”

“Farmers are already on-board with addressing environmental issues but are hugely frustrated with endless unworkable policies made in silos. There is significant momentum at the grassroots level to embrace integrated environmental management, including emissions.”

“Along with the integrated environmental policy framework, we also propose a short-term research fund to develop credible emissions reduction alternatives for the agricultural sector to implement.”

“Then a new, more comprehensive emissions plan can be workably introduced, tailored towards incentivising and enabling the uptake of alternatives and technology as they are developed.”

“The full integrated environmental policy framework is still being developed, though initial proposals include both replacing the controversial Significant Natural Areas policy with an approach that partners with landowners, helping them protect biodiversity, and a catchment-by-catchment approach to freshwater, with greater local autonomy for communities and regional councils.”

“There are significant advantages in our proposal and we are calling on farmers and the general public to grab this one opportunity to secure a workable solution to our environmental issues, pursuing a vision of New Zealand as a world leader in caring for the environment, by submitting at www.savefarming.nz,” said McKenzie.

© Scoop Media