Ministers Advised To Put A Price On Carbon

27 November 2006
Energy sector leaders told New Zealand ministers in a special closed-door Energy Future Forum on Friday to put a price on carbon to help cut emissions and manage climate change.

Energy sector leaders told the Energy Future Forum, organised by Deloitte and the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, and attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Michael Cullen, and Energy Minister Hon David Parker, that there is a general consensus a price needs to be put on carbon.

There was significant interest in what mechanism should be used to do this and the Ministers and executives discussed possible carbon trading regimes, the Business Council's Chief Executive, Peter Neilson, says.

Several companies have been working on possible carbon or emission trading regime concepts, and some have already put views to the Government.

The Government is looking for further submissions after it publishes its energy, climate change and energy conservation strategies, possibly next month.

"There is also a consensus that any carbon charge should have wide coverage, including agriculture, the largest emissions source and the hardest to reduce," Neilson says.

Other issues discussed included possible incentives to develop renewable energy and encourage forest planting.

There is also evidence New Zealanders will get behind efforts to lower emissions if they are offered the chance. Proof of this is Landcare's CarboNZero scheme, where people offset their household, car and other emissions by buying credits. The money goes to planting trees to create forest carbon sinks.


If you would like to submit a news item to be considered for inclusion on Inwood Today, please email the text to: elizabeth@npl.net.nz
All news on this site is compiled by Inwood Today and may be subject to international copyright.
News Archives