Government finally getting it on emissions reduction

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) framework released for consultation today that will reduce the cost of emissions reduction in New Zealand.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“The Government should be agnostic about where reductions in net emissions come from, whether that be through not emitting in the first place or through capturing and storing carbon by using technology or forestry. Today’s consultation announcement is a good step in the right direction.

“The recognition that New Zealand’s emissions are capped under the Emissions Trading Scheme is a welcome one. This CCUS policy will not reduce emissions any further or faster but will make it cheaper to meet our agreed targets.

“The best emissions reduction policy is to have a simple and well functioning ETS that sets the cap on emissions and then gets the government out of the way. The consultation’s request for insight on regulatory barriers to CCUS uptake is a welcome one.

“It’s just a shame the government can’t be consistent across all other areas of their emissions reduction policy – let’s hope Simeon Brown pulls his Climate Change Minister in for an ETS crash course.”