NZ Agricultural Emissions: Wide Support for ‘Global Emissions Alliance’ meeting
November 30th, 2009
NZ’s push for a ‘Global Alliance’ on agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation research has been given a strong nudge forward, with at least 20 nations attending a forum on the sidelines of the World Food Security Conference in Rome this week. Agriculture-dependent economies such as Uruguay and Argentina will rub shoulders with the US, China, Japan, India and European states for a session hosted by Agriculture Minister David Carter. Carter says “it has been greeted with enthusiasm and now just needs that more solid commitment. This is the last chance to build that consensus before Copenhagen.”
The UN’s conference in Copenhagen in December is an attempt to get world leaders to agree to a new framework to replace the 1997 Kyoto protocol, which is set to expire in 2012. While there is growing scepticism leaders can reach a legally binding accord in Denmark, the event is a perfect platform to win more formal support for the Global Alliance. Carter says “I personally think the seeds will be sown at Copenhagen but it isn’t going to reach a conclusion.” The summit does though, offer “a chance to get the world to enthusiastically commit” to global research and technology to reduce farm emissions. Achieving international agreement on emissions-mitigation research will shift a considerable burden off NZ, which has an almost unique profile among developed nations, with almost 50% of its emissions coming off the farm. NZ’s lobbying is a multi-pronged effort, with former Science Minister Simon Upton acting as special envoy to engage other countries on the concept.
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