New Zealand's 'pure' image a pipe dream, suggests OECD report
New Zealand’s global image as a ‘green’ economy was under serious threat from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Tuesday, with the intergovernmental body saying the country’s growth model - based largely on exploiting natural resources - was starting to show its environmental limits.
The group of Pacific islands, known as a top tourist destination promoted with the slogan ‘100% Pure’, was facing increased greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, according to the new OECD report.
While the country of 4.7 million inhabitants only accounted for a tiny share of global emissions, the OECD’s third Environmental Performance Review of New Zealand found that intensive dairy farming, road transport and industry pushed up gross greenhouse gas emissions by 23% since 1990.
Despite generating 80% of its electricity from renewable sources - among the highest proportion in OECD countries - New Zealand still had the second-highest level of emissions per GDP unit in the OECD and the fifth-highest emissions per capita.
“Having largely decarbonised its power generation, New Zealand needs to ensure its climate policies are effective in curbing emissions in all sectors, notably transport and agriculture,” said OECD Environment Director Simon Upton, presenting the report in the country’s capital Wellington.
“This means strengthening the Emissions Trading Scheme and ensuring sectoral policies are aligned with the need for a low emissions transition.”
New Zealand’s reliance on agriculture - referred to as the ‘primary industries’ by its government - now accounted for 49% of emissions, which was the highest share in the OECD.
The report suggested incorporating emissions from agriculture into the country’s existing Emissions Trading Scheme, or developing alternative measures to counter the pressures of farming, would help to curb emissions.
It said the use of environmentally related taxes, charges and prices should also be expanded.
Growth in intensive dairy production had also increased the level of nitrogen in soil, surface water and groundwater, with New Zealand’s nitrogen balance - the difference between nutrients entering and leaving the system - increasing more than in any other OECD country from 2000 to 2010.
“Aware of the need to safeguard water quality, New Zealand has begun a process of freshwater policy reforms with a Clean Water Package of proposals in February that address some of the OECD recommendations,” the OECD said in a statement.
“Further government support is needed to assist local authorities with setting rigorous goals and to speed up implementation.”