Conference 2024

Along with our conference partners, MPI and AgriZero^NZ, the NZAGRC welcomed attendees to the 2024 New Zealand Agriculture and Climate Change Conference in Wellington. He mihi nui ki Te Āti Awa for opening our two-day conference—it was a privilege to come together to discuss these important topics.

The day 1 welcome was delivered by Naomi Parker NZAGRC, Jim Skea IPCC Chair kicked things off with a pre-recorded extensive overview of how the world is tracking towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. Hon. Todd McClay Minister for Agriculture, then provided the opening address. Minister McClay highlighted that the food and fibre sector is vital to the New Zealand economy and that we must meet our international obligations without compromising productivity. The Minister emphasised that New Zealand had been proactive in this space and that the government remains committed to working with the sector to reduce agricultural GHGs. He also acknowledged that farmers play a crucial role in the solution to climate change.

Setting the scene: The international situation session saw Stuart Horne New Zealand Climate Change Ambassador shared his insights from COP29 and on New Zealand’s role in the international arena. 

Rod Carr, Chair of the Climate Change Commission delivered a riveting presentation on Setting the scene: New Zealand domestic emissions targets, which covered a lot of ground and highlighted that, as a country, we are continually making choices and changes. With known technologies, we can make a difference now. With new research, we can make more impact.

Kelly Forster MPI, Naomi Parker NZAGRC and Wayne McNee AgriZero^NZ delivered a session that outlined how MPI, NZAGRC and AgriZero^NZ are working together towards Achieving domestic agricultural emissions goals & climate ambitions.

Charles Brooke Spark Climate Solutions, Andy Jarvis Bezos Earth Fund, Tom Sturgess, Methane Mitigation Ventures and Adrian Barker, Methane Mitigation Ventures, provided passionate international perspectives on international investments in agricultural greenhouse gas solutions. Historically, there has been “extreme underinvestment” in this area, but the past few years have seen more venture capital, more companies emerging, and more political interest in this space internationally.

The trade & market drivers for agricultural emissions reduction sessions saw Diana Reaich MPI, Neal Wallace AgriHQ, Jenna Grieve Fonterra, Catherine Langabeer Woolworths and Simon Kenny McDonald’s discuss the importance of sustainability in business, both domestically and internationally. Many companies have clear emissions reduction targets and expectations, and they are willing to work together with the NZ primary sector and their suppliers to help meet those goals.

Aidan Gent ASB, Carly Green Environmental Accounting Services and Amelia Sharman XRB provided great insights on a range of aspects of the more financial and reporting aspects of Market drivers for agricultural emissions reduction.

In the last session of day 1, Mitigating risk: Co-operation in action Andrew Fletcher Fonterra and Aaron Simmons MiLCA Project discussed how major dairy companies have come together to develop a responsible and conservative protocol for including mitigation technologies in life cycle analysis (LCA). Nick Donald MPI then concluded Day 1 by sharing insights into the importance of standardising on-farm emissions measurement and the recent progress that MPI has made in this space.

Attendees were welcomed by day 2's MC Ruth Leary AgriZero^NZ followed by a thorough and thought provoking opening presentation from Sir Peter Gluckman who outlined a range of science and technology opportunities for reducing emissions positioned in the context that the New Zealand economy has been built on the back of agricultural research and that science is also key to our future.

Harry Clark NZAGRC outlined key findings and insights from recent modelling work to estimate the emissions reduction potential of tools and technologies under development, in order to demonstrate Progress towards solutions: Setting the scene.

Richard Eckard Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, University of Melbourne then provided an excellent overview of opportunities and challenges for methane inhibitors in grazing systems.

Progress towards solutions: Science and technology updates saw our next seven speakers; Tom Breen Ruminant Biotech, Colin South Arkea Bio, Suzanne Rowe AgResearch, Lorna McNaughton LIC, Jason Wargent Biolumic, Linda Johnson AgResearch and David Aitken Lucidome Bio provide important updates on progress on the development of technologies, including inhibitors, vaccines, animal breeding and plant genetics.

As a part of the Mitigation in action: On the ground innovation session, Cynthia Lawrence presented on Cool Sheep, an industry/government programme that aims to give every sheep farmer in New Zealand the opportunity to use genetic selection to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our national flock. This was followed up by three passionate farmers George Moss, Emma Crutchley and Ken Goldsmith about the important mahi they are doing on their farms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The panel Activating mitigation: Insights into the challenges of adoption discussed the barriers to adoption and how we can accelerate on-farm uptake of emissions reduction technologies in New Zealand. The panellists Erica van Reenen AgFirst, Malcolm Ellis Fonterra, John Roche MPI, Jason Corsbie Van Hattum Corsbie and Geoff Simmons Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment echoed many of the themes brought up by the earlier farmer panel and outlined further opportunities to support farmers in the emission reduction area.

Naomi Parker and Chris Koroheke, NZAGRC, closed out the conference after a collaborative session for speakers and attendees to discuss the pathway to 2050, and explore what a low emissions future could look like. 

A very warm thank you to all of the amazing speakers, session chairs and attendees, along with our conference partners AgriZeroNZ and MPI. The 2024 conference was an insightful and thought provoking event, discussing all things at the heart of agriculture and climate change.