Agriculture is warming the earth faster than any other industry in Aotearoa. Yet attempts to reign in the sector’s emissions have fallen short once more. In a three part Kirsty Johnston investigates how a “world-leading plan” was born, and how it fell apart.
Part 2 is available now: https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/in-depth-special-projects/story/2018902908/crown-vs-cow-part-two-how-agriculture-and-government-fell-out-and-the-climate-lost
God, this stuff is complex!
Pretty terrible how at the end it is revealed that the govt and industry had completely different ideas about the goal of the partnership, all along.
Labour/Greens have tried so hard, but those in the industry simply won't pay for their pollution. Time for some draconian action or NZ agriculture's value on the world stage will plummet (or perhaps that should be is plummeting) . I bet they will have their hand out then too...
I can't help thinking after reading this that HWEN was really a mistake. Fair enough to consult at length with industry, but to effectively let them run the consultation process itself was taking it too far. In the end, the industry exists within the regulatory framework of NZ, and it has to adapt to that.
I really think Labour would have been better off in the long run taking a harder line with the industry (while still showing they are listening), dealing with the blowback, but at least getting something across the line. I guess hindsight is 20/20 though.