Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

New Zealand‟s export base depends on our clean, green, sustainable and responsible
reputation. We put that at risk if we fail to address the cause of nearly half our emissions.
Farmers would be those most vulnerable to our reputation slipping, if we fail to include our
key contributor to climate change in the ETS.
Restoring the 2013 entry date for agriculture to come into the ETS means farmers will
initially pay for just 10% of their 2005 agricultural emissions, plus any growth since then.
That is not asking too much.
From 2019 Labour proposes to begin phasing out free allocation to agriculture. However,
this will be subject to periodic reviews before then. If the interests of our rural sector were
being undermined, the rate of phase-out could be moderated.
Promoting research and development
National‟s decision to delay agriculture's entry into the ETS, and then phase it in much more
slowly, will cost $800 million over five years. Including agriculture in 2013 will free up that
money, and enable it to be put towards a research and development (R&D) tax credit rate of
12.5%. This will be focused on clean technology.
Labour will put into R&D the extra revenue raised from the 2013 ETS entry date for
agriculture.
Both the R&D investment and bringing agriculture into the ETS in 2013 will enhance New
Zealand‟s clean green brand. The R&D investment will include Labour working
collaboratively with the farming sector to help it be at the leading edge of work to reduce
agricultural emissions.
New Zealand‟s greenhouse gas emissions profile is unique among developed countries in
that nearly half our emissions come from the agricultural sector (compared with typically less
than 10% in most other developed countries).
Labour will work with farmers to reduce this contribution, especially methane from livestock.
Research was initiated by the last Labour government. Under Labour, New Zealand will
continue to be a world leader in research to mitigate ruminant emissions, through research
consortia and international collaboration.
Labour will continue to support world leading research into new solutions for
agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
If farming systems intensify, greater amounts of nutrients are used, which in turn can mean
more pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrate based fertiliser in particular adds to
emissions, and Labour will encourage reduced dependence on it.
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