Green Party agriculture spokesperson Steve Abel has labelled the coalition “the most radically anti-environmental government” in his lifetime while reiterating his party’s calls to bring agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Speaking to Q+A, Abel criticised Labour’s decision to “review” its policy on agriculture’s inclusion in the Emissions Trading Scheme, saying it should “just do it”.
“It’s been constantly delayed. This is credit to the dairy lobby. They’ve done a good job of convincing subsequent governments to just not do anything about it,” he said.
Abel also criticised the Government’s recent legislation to restrict large-scale pine conversions on productive farmland, saying it had “added a whole lot of complexity, which is what farmers don’t want”.
“What we need to do is bite the bullet and recognise that offsetting to pine is not a solution to climate change. We have to get gross cuts in emissions at source,” he said.
“By taking out pine from the Emissions Trading Scheme, we’re actually meaning that we get real cuts in emissions, and that is the only solution to climate change.”
Wool industry potential
The Greens were also advocating for greater support for New Zealand’s wool industry as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic materials.
“We have this global challenge of plastic pollution. It’s absolutely catastrophic,” he said.
“Wool is this super fibre that we produce in this country. It is a genuine solution to that challenge of plastic pollution.
“We can be producing carpets, wall coverings, insulation, clothing. Even the filters on the fire hoods that they are taking on a NASA spacecraft to the moon, are made from New Zealand wool. So there are huge opportunities in that. We need to back the wool sector.”
Abel suggested starting a contestable fund for wool manufacturing to support domestic production.
For the full interview, watch the video above
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
