Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Research into reducing the environmental effects of greenhouse gases must include soil
sequestration of carbon. Soil sequestration is a biological process that provides a huge
potential opportunity for carbon storage, as well as improving the resilience and productivity
of our soils.
Labour will encourage research on, and experimentation with, a range of alternative
technologies and farming practices, including low intensity farming.
Labour will encourage farmers to move towards the latest technology and environmental
practice as they become available. Growth in agricultural production is vital to New
Zealand‟s future economic prosperity, but not at any cost.
Complementary measures to the ETS
Labour‟s policies to tackle climate change do not rest solely with the ETS. A combination of
targets and sector-specific policies across the economy will put New Zealand on a long-term
sustainable footing.
Labour‟s economy-wide targets include:
● 90% of our electricity coming from renewable sources by 2025
●
halving our per capita domestic transport emissions by 2040 (taking 2007 as the
base year)
● carbon neutrality in the total energy sector by 2040.
If this last target was adopted globally, the planet would be well on the way to overcoming
human-induced global warming by 2040.
Our Energy policy describes how Labour will promote renewable energy and energy
efficiency. As part of our economic transition, we will also promote sustainable transport,
electric vehicles, and forests as carbon sinks.
Economic transition
All New Zealanders need to be engaged and supported in moving towards a new
sustainable low-carbon economy. Labour will develop practical policies to underpin this
move. These will include R&D, the provision of incentives, and negotiations in international
forums.
We will also work with businesses, farmers, scientists, unions and workers to develop
environmental plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to promote energy and
transport efficiencies including telecommuting.
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