ACT party has proposed a new 'split-gas' emissions target for New Zealand that would treat methane from agriculture differently from carbon dioxide. The proposal, announced at Field Days, would require 'short-lived gases' like methane to cause 'no additional warming' rather than reaching net zero. ACT wants to keep agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and reset the country's Emissions Reduction Plans. The proposal challenges the current approach under the Paris Agreement where all greenhouse gases are treated equally. New Zealand's domestic targets already use a split-gas method, requiring net zero for long-lived gases by 2050 and a 14-24 percent reduction in methane from 2017 levels. The government has already weakened the methane target. Climate scientists say methane from food production must still be tackled to meet 1.5C or 2C warming limits. ACT argues New Zealand dairy has a carbon footprint 46 percent lower than global averages and that current Paris commitments drive farmland conversion to pine trees. The Climate Change Commission has said the 'no additional warming' approach for methane is not enough. The proposal raises questions about how New Zealand will meet its Nationally Determined Contribution while protecting agricultural exports.
