Mr Pederson is quoted in this morning's Dominion Post as calling
for an emissions trading scheme (ETS) so tough it would make
finding a solution to New Zealand's greenhouse gas problem the
country's number one priority. He envisages a situation in which
all minds, resources and funding are focused on this problem to
alleviate the hurt it's causing.
"This is exactly the kind of leadership needed within the
farming sector," said Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer.
"The challenge for the new President of Fed Farmers (when Pederson
is replaced in November) is to ensure that action on climate change
is a priority - after all the organisation's role is to look after
farmers and ensure a bright future for them.
"It's in the interests of farmers to deal with climate change;
they're getting clobbered by it with floods and droughts, the
sector's emissions are rising and they're at risk of losing their
clean green branding. This needs to be turned around, but it's
going to require progressive leadership.
"We're at a crossroads with climate change in this country. Big
sectors like farming should see that acting on climate change as a
great opportunity. As Pederson says, the ETS should be seen as
chance for New Zealand farmers to start reaping the benefits and
leading the world in low-emission, sustainable farming."
In the article, Pederson says every country has a major
greenhouse gas emitter similar to New Zealand's agricultural sector
and is tackling it. "It's for this very reason that Greenpeace is
calling for agriculture to be brought into the scheme earlier than
2013. The sector makes up almost half our greenhouse gas emissions,
there ARE win-win solutions to these emissions, and where they
don't currently exist they must be found. As Mr Pederson says, a
strong ETS offers the incentive to find these solutions."
Agriculture's emissions have increased by 15 per cent since
1990. With the current expansion of intensive dairy and with some
455,000 hectares of forestry land at risk of being deforested and
converted into pastoral use (1), these emissions are set to
increase substantially.
Mr Boxer said Greenpeace was not anti-farming. "We've been
working hard with farmers to find solutions. We believe a
progressive attitude and the kind of "can-do" attitude we've come
to associate with New Zealand farmers could make us a world leader
in tackling climate change and bring long-lasting benefits to our
economic wellbeing."
Other contacts: Simon Boxer – Climate Campaigner – 021905579
Kathy Cumming – Communications – 021 495 216
Notes: High-resolution images and video of aerial footage showing Landcorp’s forestry conversion to intensive dairy farming at Tahorakuri Forest Estate, northeast of Taupo are available at: http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/media
Briefing: ‘New Zealand’s ‘Clean Green Image’ under threat’ available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/press/reports/dairy-and--briefing
(1) MAF, Area of forest ‘at risk’ from deforestation, August 2006, http://www.maf.govt.nz/climatechange/forestry/ets/area-at-risk/page-04.htm
Exp. contact date: 2008-12-08 00:00:00