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Action plan: 40 shades of grey but no green

Our latest selection of articles from New Zealand and around the world on environmental management and sustainability. Click here to subscribe.


This issue we examine the Coalition Government’s Q3 Action Plan and its complete absence of any environmental targets, albeit the environment does get a mention in terms of reducing restrictions in order to promote industry. And agriculture is receiving plenty of preferential treatment in terms of its Methane emissions.  Nor was there any mention of Nitrous Oxide emissions reduction plans, even when most of this comes from agricultural processes like the use of nitrogen fertiliser and manure management.


We also examine the role of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), how it is presently set up and how it could be refined to make it operate better than it is presently (no bids for Units at the Government auctions).


Our next set of articles examines how the existing linear production models are too wasteful and inefficient, costing the global economy around $2.6 trillion per year, whereas a shift to a circular economy where product and resources are used time and time again could boost revenue by $1 trillion and reduce GHG emissions.  Even recycling with its circular symbol gets in on the act, with the plastics industry believing that it is the magic bullet to solving plastic pollution rather than to place caps on plastic production.  Well at least that is what they would like us to believe.


We end up with an article on local actions being taken by US farmers to manage the increasingly hot summers and how with the help of the large companies they supply produce to, can improve the safety and welfare of their workers.


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Here is the full list of articles...


The Q3 Action Plan from New Zealand's coalition government features 40 targets, but none aimed at protecting the environment.  Despite 16% of Kiwis prioritising climate change, the plan focuses primarily on easing the cost of living, which concerns 60% of citizens.  And the environmental initiatives are largely about reducing restrictions to promote industry, such as extending aquaculture permits and relaxing agricultural regulations.  Critics, including Green MP Lan Pham, argue this approach neglects necessary environmental protections and favors industry profits over sustainability. Read more…


The New Zealand government’s new approach for agricultural methane emissions is aiming for "no added heating", is problematic, according to Australian climate scientist Mark Howden.  A review panel led by Nicola Shadbolt will assess the methane target, potentially lowering the 2050 goal.  Critics argue the approach lacks ambition and complicates the goal, suggesting proportional reductions instead.  Federated Farmers support the review, but Howden stresses significant methane cuts are necessary to meet New Zealand and global climate goals.  With time being of the essence, is this a good time to lower our climate ambitions? Read more…


We often talk about carbon and methane emissions, but there is one gas that we don’t talk about nearly enough – nitrous oxide.  Nitrous oxide is a key greenhouse gas that contributes toward human-driven climate change and is predominantly emitted from agricultural processes like nitrogen fertiliser use and manure management.  The presence of this long-lived gas in our atmosphere has increased by 40 percent over the past 40 years and needs to decline on average by around 20 percent every year up to 2050 from 2019 levels to stabilise global warming to below 2°C. Read more…


It is clear the New Zealand government needs to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions – including both methane and nitrous oxide. The one mechanism that is being relied on to do so is the Emissions Trading Scheme.  However, in its current form, it is prone to failure.  To make it bulletproof, the government needs to stop creating credits out of thin air.  Instead, there should be a fixed number of unbacked ‘from-thin-air’ units that can be issued by governments between now and 2050 and should consider distributing a carbon dividend to New Zealand households. Read more…


A global increase in the demand for EVs could increase demand for critical materials and raises questions about sustainability of EV's, as while efficiency is limited by physics, there is no limit on demand.  Furthermore, every stage of the life cycle of any manufactured product exacts environmental costs: habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and pollution (including carbon emissions) from extraction of raw materials, manufacturing / construction, through to disposal. Thus, it is the increasing global material footprint that is fundamentally the reason for the twin climate and ecological crises. Read more…


So what is the alternative?  Perhaps switching from a linear production model to a circular one.  Linear production models and the throw away economy thought to be costing around $2.6 trillion per year are at the heart of much of our current climate crisis.  A move to a circular - or closed loop - economic model is a worthy goal in itself and it could not only benefit the environment, but offer a revenue opportunity of more than $1 trillion per year, competitive advantage to businesses through better resource utilisations in fashion, electronics, home building and renovations, plastics, batteries, sports and FMCG markets. Read more…


The current Coalition Government recently scrapped its Circular Economy Strategy work with a decision that prioritised ideology over the economic and environmental benefits.  Without the supporting policy framework and innovations in sustainable agriculture, resource efficient infrastructure and improved product durability, the goals of the NZ's Emissions Reduction Plan, will prove more difficult to achieve.  And studies have shown that applying circular economy practices could cut domestic emissions by 1.5 to 1.9 million tons of emissions each year. Read more…


Amongst the myriad of sins normalised by consumerism, recycling may seem like a virtue. However, recycling’s virtuous reputation finds its roots in misinformed naivete.  Many of the metrics and guidance we rely on as consumers, such as the numbered triangles denoting plastic types, are nothing more than decoration.  Recycling’s history has been written by the winners: plastic polluters. They’ve turned the spotlight to reactive campaigns such as anti-littering and recycling so they can point the finger at the consumer.  Meanwhile, the polluting giants produce, pollute, and profit recklessly. Read more…


The last people you'd want to hear from about how to reduce plastic waste are those making billions shilling disposable plastic goods to consumers.  However, the growing presence of the plastic industry in treaty negotiations is a very real concern.  Desperate to do just about anything except shrink production (and profit margins), take a wild guess at the industry's first alternative to a waste-free world?  If you guessed "recycling", you're right... and probably just as fed up as the rest of us. Curious about the rest of their bright ideas? Read more…


Extreme heat impacts everyone, but none more so than farm workers where high temperatures can impact their ability to work and their health.  Political wrangling around regulations in the USA has also not helped.  But a non-profit Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), set up the Fair Food Programme, where companies pledge to pay fair wages, eliminate sexual harassment and other issues – including increasingly stringent heat protections - in return for ‘Fair Food Program’ certification for their products.  The programme covers thousands of workers and has agreements with major retailers Read more…




This week we have the following innovation articles we hope you find interesting:





Hydrology Report - 18 July 2024




Electricity Price Index - 18 July 2024







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