New Zealand scraps ‘burp tax’ on livestock after backlash from farmers
Al Jazeera
Centre-right coalition gov’t says it will focus on ‘practical tools and technology’ to reduce agricultural emissions.
New Zealand has scrapped plans for a so-called “burp tax” aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions from sheep and cattle.
The country’s centre-right coalition government said on Tuesday it would exclude agriculture from the country’s emissions trading scheme in favour of exploring other ways to reduce methane.
The move, which fulfils a pre-election pledge by former businessman Christopher Luxon’s National Party, comes after the plans to tax agricultural emissions from 2025 led to nationwide protests by farmers worried about the effect on their livelihoods.
“It doesn’t make sense to send jobs and production overseas, while less carbon-efficient countries produce the food the world needs,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said in a statement.
“That is why we are focused on finding practical tools and technology for our farmers to reduce their emissions in a way that won’t reduce production or exports.”
