NZ’s amended cow burp tax plans still stink: farmers
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, looks on during a press conference at Parliament on Sunday in Wellington, New Zealand. Auckland has entered Level 3 lockdown for the next seven days after a new COVID-19 case was detected in the community on Saturday. The rest of New Zealand will be subject to Level 2 restrictions for a week.
New Zealand’s government on Wednesday outlined changes to controversial plans to tax the farts and burps of livestock, but a leading farmers group said it was still opposed to the emissions reduction scheme.
New Zealand is planning a “world first” levy on emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, produced by the nation’s six million cows and 26 million sheep as a step toward tackling climate change.
Under the proposed scheme, farmers would have to pay for gas emissions from their animals.
The plans have caused uproar in New Zealand’s agricultural community and sparked nationwide protests.
Farmers have demanded Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s center-left government ditch the tax, which they warn that it will make food more costly and could put livelihoods at risk.
The changes outlined Wednesday include allowing farmers to use on-farm forestry to offset their carbon emissions, and a promise to keep emissions pricing low.
“Our shared goal is supporting farmers to grow their exports, reduce emissions, and maintain our agricultural sector’s international competitive edge,” Ardern said in a statement.
