New Zealand's targets on methane emissions should be lowered based on new research, Federated Farmers say.
Under New Zealand's Paris Agreement commitments, biogenic methane emissions need to be reduced by 24-47% by 2025.
Biogenic methane comes from cows, and while methane has a more intense heating effect than carbon, it stays in the atmosphere for only about 12 years.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford told Q+A with Jack Tame the current level of reductions needed to be reviewed.
"We've seen that when we look at it through a split gas approach that the methane reductions don't need to be as high as that. That's what the scientific studies are saying," Langford said.
"So we've just had a study brought to us and that says 15% to 27%, which, surprisingly, was a bit higher than we thought it was going to be, but at least it gives us a direction of travel."
Langford was referring to a study delivered in September by climate scientist professor Myles Allen, which was commissioned by a group of farming organisations.
It found lower levels of methane reductions would be sufficient for farming in New Zealand to not intensify global warming.
Langford said as a result, the methane reduction targets should be made more "realistic" for farmers.
"Let's lay out a pathway so that our farmers can get there. If you go too far, if you reach too far, the farmers just say, 'We can't do it. We can't get there. You've got no tools, we can't get there.'"
As for those tools, Langford said some being used in feed overseas won't necessarily work in New Zealand, because of the use of pasture rather than feedlots.
"There is a number of methane inhibitors, and a problem for us is that we're a real-pasture based system," he said.
"Our dairy farms are free-grazing. We don't have barn-based systems where we can just add feed in every day. And that's our competitive advantage, right? So we've got to be careful not to lose that."
He added that many of the mitigation technologies are currently too expensive to be rolled out on a wide scale.
Despite the difficulties in the Government and farming industry coming to an arrangement on emissions through He Waka Eke Noa, Langford said the industry remained committed to the principle of reducing emissions.
With National and ACT saying they'll scrap He Waka Eke Noa, Langford said if a new government comes in "it'll be in for a name change, really. The work's not going to change. The work's still got to be done".
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