February 2023
Industry and Māori partners are continuing to advocate strongly for recognition of all on farm sequestration that is scientifically credible and verifiable, including riparian strips, shelter belts and pre1990 native vegetation.
We are working with Government on a sequestration strategy that will provide clarity for farmers about what that means in practice.
The Government has said sequestration needs to be recognised in a way that is fair, cost-effective, and scientifically robust.
He Waka Eke Noa has made it clear all along (both the farmer consultation in early 2022 and the recommendations in May 2022) that, in order to have integrity as a pricing system and get Government support for wider recognition of sequestration than is currently recognised under the ETS, eligible sequestration had to be consistent with the principle of additionality (that is, additional carbon is removed from the atmosphere due to specific interventions and would not have otherwise occurred).
The He Waka Eke Noa consultation material and recommendations were clear how that principle was applied and what sequestration was eligible as a result. The Government’s pricing consultation document clearly sets out their expectations on additionality in Appendix 5 of the Section 215 report (December 2022). https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/Pricing-agricultural-emissions-consultation-document.pdf
The Partnership recognises how important integrated on-farm vegetation is to farmers and continues to advocate to recognise as much on-farm sequestration as possible, while ensuring the system is scientifically robust, not overly complicated, nor administratively burdensome (as set out in the May 2022 recommendations).