In May, the Government released New Zealand’s first ever Emissions Reduction Plan, Te Hau mārohi ki anamata – Towards a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy. It charts the course towards net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan contains more than 300 actions and covers transport, energy, building, agriculture, forestry, and waste. It is a far-reaching plan with implications for the entire economy.
Key actions outlined include, among others:
- Investigating congestion charging including ways of mitigating adverse financial impacts on low-income households
- Initiatives to improve access to low emissions vehicles such as the continuation of the clean vehicle discount and the introduction of a vehicle scrap-and-replace scheme for low-income households, targeting 30% of the light vehicle fleet to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035
- Decarbonisation of the public transport bus fleet, heavy transport and freight sector by 2035, including to reduce freight emissions by 35% over that same period
- Implementing a high threshold for investment in highways and road corridors
- Reducing waste going to landfills and investing in kerbside food waste collection services
- A ban on new low-to-medium temperature coal boilers and phase-out of existing ones by 2037
- Introducing an emissions pricing mechanism for agriculture.
INZ welcomes the leadership and ambition shown by the Government through the Emissions Reduction Plan. It sets out a wide-ranging and ambitious programme of initiatives and actions that cuts across several industries. In doing so, the plan recognises that transitioning to a low emissions economy requires a transformational change in how we plan, fund and deliver infrastructure and services. Delivering this will require the continued buy-in from across parliament as well as close partnership with affected industries.
The funding for the actions contained in the Plan will come from the $4.5 billion Climate Emergency Response Fund, which is made up of the revenue collected through the Emissions Trading Scheme.
The Environment Committee – Komiti Taiao invites public submissions on Te Hau mārohi ki anamata by 27 June 2022. INZ will be making a submission.
You can view the Plan and supplementary information here.