Advice likely to set emissions pathway

The Government has now received the final advice from the Climate Change Commission and will release the details to the public and table it in Parliament on Wednesday June 9.

The advice sets out the commission’s recommendations on the first three five-yearly emissions budgets under the Zero Carbon Act and the direction of policy Aotearoa New Zealand could take to meet these budgets, climate change minister James Shaw says.

The Zero Carbon Act provides him with 10 working days following receipt of advice before releasing it to the public.

In the meantime, Shaw will take time to read the advice in full and talk to colleagues ahead of its public release.

Drive Electric chair Mark Gilbert says he will follow the June 9 release with interest as he’s speculating recent reports indicate the commission may “dial back on some of its ambitions”.

Gilbert cites reports from the recent Carbon and Energy Professionals (CEP) Conference 2021 in Christchurch that commissioner Rod Carr mentions the commissions’ final advice to the government is likely to have some differences from the February draft.

Carr is reported as saying that may mean EV uptake could be slower than the commission previously considered and that the advice could expand more on biogases, bioliquids and biomass.

Several pathways to decarbonisation are expected to be outlined, with the government due to make decisions on the commission’s advice later this year.

The commission has received more than 15,000 submissions and has been involved in hundreds of consultations since the draft advice was first released.

Electricity prices and capacity, the speed of upgrades, and hydrogen’s role were among them.

EVs and Beyond has covered advice and industry reaction so far.