Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/8718-can-new-zealand-investigate-warming-neutral-branding on December 22, 2024 20:08

Can New Zealand investigate 'warming neutral' branding?

Steven Cranston made this Official Information request to James Shaw

Response to this request is long overdue. By law James Shaw should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: Steven Cranston

Dear James Shaw,

1. Does the Minister have any research, computer data or other scientific evidence available (including from the NZAGRC) that would undermine the validity of NZ agriculture as an entity marketing their products as ‘warming neutral’ when all scientifically accepted GHG sources and sinks are accounted for?

2. New Zealand’s agricultural Methane emissions in 2015 and 2016 equate to a combined 2.9% reduction over the two years according to MfE data. This is already 29% of the total (minimum) -10% by 2050 target described in the recent PCE Final Report on a Low Emissions Economy. No major land use change has occurred over the two years in question.

The conclusion from the PCE appears to have pre-empted the decision on what methane accounting metric will be used. Some proposed Methane metrics may imply current agricultural CH4 trends are already warming neutral and do not require further reductions.

Has the Minister got any documents or communication transcripts to support the fact he has attempted to correct the PCE finding that 1.3 to 2.8 million ha of agricultural land will need to be converted to forestry to meet emissions targets?

3. Is there wording in the Paris agreement document New Zealand signed that allows New Zealand to review how we will account for Carbon sequestration from trees should the Government decide that was appropriate?

Can this wording please be provided?

4. Does the Minister have any documents, emails or information held on computer that would suggest New Zealand as a country could not be considered ‘warming neutral’ when all scientifically accepted GHG sources and sinks are accounted for?

For Reference, this question refers to findings in Simon Upton’s recent ‘A note on New Zealand’s Methane emissions from livestock’ which concluded that only a very minor annual reduction in methane emissions is required for all New Zealand’s Methane emissions to be considered warming neutral.

This question also refers to known quantities of native and exotic forest recorded by Landcare Research and standard carbon sequestrated rates used by government agencies.

Yours faithfully,

Steven Cranston

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Sent request to James Shaw again.

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We are sorry for the trouble. An email delivery problem was recently brought to our attention which affected this request, hence the re-send above.

More information is available here: https://meta.fyi.org.nz/news/incident-mi...

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From: J Shaw (MIN)
James Shaw

On behalf of the Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change, Minister of
Statistics, Associate Minister of Finance, and Green Party Co-leader, many
thanks for your email.

We will endeavour to provide a full response as soon as possible. Where
the issue lies outside the portfolios of the Minister, we may transfer it
to a more appropriate office for a response. If you are inviting the
Minister to attend to an event or a meeting, our office will be in touch
shortly.

While we consider all correspondence important, with all correspondence
carefully read and considered, it is not possible to provide a personal
response to every email which is received.

If the matter is urgent, please contact Dave Butler-Peck, Private
Secretary, on 04 817 8725 or [1][email address].

 

Many thanks again for taking the time to write to the Hon James Shaw.

Kind regards,

 

Hon James Shaw | Green Party Co-leader | Minister for Climate Change |
Minister of Statistics | Associate Minister of Finance

Level 7, Bowen House, Parliament Buildings, 80 Lambton Quay | Private Bag
18041 | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
P: 04 817 8725

E:

[2][email address]

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]

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From: Dave Butler-Peck

Dear Steven,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act (OIA) request dated 11 October 2018 requesting the following:

"1. Does the Minister have any research, computer data or other scientific evidence available (including from the NZAGRC) that would undermine the validity of NZ agriculture as an entity marketing their products as ‘warming neutral’ when all scientifically accepted GHG sources and sinks are accounted for?

2.New Zealand’s agricultural Methane emissions in 2015 and 2016 equate to a combined 2.9% reduction over the two years according to MfE data. This is already 29% of the total (minimum) -10% by 2050 target described in the recent PCE Final Report on a Low Emissions Economy. No major land use change has occurred over the two years in question.

The conclusion from the PCE appears to have pre-empted the decision on what methane accounting metric will be used. Some proposed Methane metrics may imply current agricultural CH4 trends are already warming neutral and do not require further reductions.

Has the Minister got any documents or communication transcripts to support the fact he has attempted to correct the PCE finding that 1.3 to 2.8 million ha of agricultural land will need to be converted to forestry to meet emissions targets?

3.Is there wording in the Paris agreement document New Zealand signed that allows New Zealand to review how we will account for Carbon sequestration from trees should the Government decide that was appropriate?

Can this wording please be provided?

4.Does the Minister have any documents, emails or information held on computer that would suggest New Zealand as a country could not be considered ‘warming neutral’ when all scientifically accepted GHG sources and sinks are accounted for?

For Reference, this question refers to findings in Simon Upton’s recent ‘A note on New Zealand’s Methane emissions from livestock’ which concluded that only a very minor annual reduction in methane emissions is required for all New Zealand’s Methane emissions to be considered warming neutral.

This question also refers to known quantities of native and exotic forest recorded by Landcare Research and standard carbon sequestrated rates used by government agencies."

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 9 November 2018, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

In the meantime, if you require any further assistance from our ministerial office, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Kind regards,

Dave Butler-Peck | Private Secretary (Executive Support)
Office of Hon James Shaw | Green Party Co-leader | Minister for Climate Change | Minister of Statistics | Associate Minister of Finance
Level 7, Bowen House, Parliament Buildings, 80 Lambton Quay | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
P: 04 817 8725
M: 021 861 303
E: [email address]

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately.

Dave Butler-Peck

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