Farmers disappointed with inclusion of ETS

Federated Farmers says the Government's decision to bring agriculture into its proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS) by 2015 is "highly disappointing". And it now wants the Government to argue in Copenhagen next December - when details of the global new deal on post-Kyoto emissions are negotiated - for agriculture to not be included in carbon schemes reports The ODT. "The Government must seek to remove agriculture at Copenhagen in December," said Federated Farmers president Don Nicolson, of Waimatua. "While we support efficient and sustainable resource use, we have big concerns over the impact of an ETS." The Government is relying on carbon-trading through its proposed ETS to help it meet a target of a 10 to 20 percent cut in carbon emissions on 1990 levels by 2020. Nearly half of the nation's total emissions (48 percent) come from the agriculture sector - mainly methane emissions from 10 million cattle and 33 million sheep - while in other developed countries, the agricultural contribution averages about 12 percent. In 2007, the total NZ greenhouse gas emissions were 75.6 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents with agriculture contributing 91 percent of the methane and 96 percent of the nitrous oxide. "This announcement means farmers will not only have to pay additional costs on their energy inputs like other businesses, but will also have to pay for their animals' emissions," said Mr Nicolson.