ALENZ is concerned that under the current coalition Government, New Zealand now lacks a consistent and collaborative commitment to meeting our 2030 and 2050 emissions reductions target.

In our submission on the draft second Emissions Reduction Plan we have stated our concern around the Government’s unwinding of previous administrations’ regulations to bring all sectors into the ETS, to take a lead in decarbonising the built environment and to electrify our public and private transport.

In doing so, the Government has undermined the importance of addressing climate change in the public mind, effectively pitching sector against sector and meaning New Zealand will not ne able to meet subsequent Emissions Budgets and our international target commitments.

Additionally, the proposed net-based approach ignores embodied carbon in imports. For example, locally manufactured windows and doors, manufactured from locally smelted or locally recycled aluminium will have a carbon footprint which is 25% that of imported windows from Asia.  Refer to Upfront Carbon Footprint Analysis of New Zealand Fenestration Systems

We have also pointed out that emissions reduction plans need to include the built environment and factor in:

  • Freeing up natural gas supply for industrial users by phasing out gas in homes and buildings, including ending new residential gas connections from 2026, effectively free up energy for manufacturing and other more productive uses
  • Further improving the Building Code to deliver lower-carbon homes and buildings
  • Requiring energy labels on homes and buildings
  • Expanding the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme to subsidise electrification of home heating and cooking
  • Implementing a concerted programme, building on the successful replacement of coal boilers in schools and hospitals, to subsidise 10% of commercial buildings per year from 2026 to electrify space and water heating
  • Incentivising improved home insulation and home solar generation.

Read our submission ALENZ submission to Emissions Reduction Plan August 2024