ACT proposes split-gas emissions target to treat methane and CO2 differently in New Zealand

ACT party has proposed a new 'split-gas' emissions target for New Zealand that would treat methane from farming differently than carbon dioxide from other sectors. The policy aims to keep agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and would require short-lived gases like methane to cause 'no additional warming' rather than reaching net zero. This approach is similar to the current domestic methane target but weaker than what the Climate Change Commission recommends. The proposal comes as part of ACT's broader climate platform, which previously threatened to leave the Paris Agreement unless New Zealand could set its own targets. The party argues New Zealand dairy has a carbon footprint 46 percent lower than the global average and that current targets unfairly penalize farmers. Climate scientists warn that meeting global temperature goals requires cutting methane from food production, not just holding it steady.