OECD revs up NZ over emissions progress

The government needs to regulate greenhouse emissions as the country's emissions get worse while other nations improve, the OECD says.

New Zealand's greenhouse emissions are getting worse while the rest of the OECD's are falling and something needs to be done to curb the country's farming emissions, according to an international report.

The latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) environmental performance review has found Kiwis are driving too much and not enough is being done to reduce the greenhouse effects of farming.

Tuesday's report finds gross emissions from New Zealand increased 6 per cent from 2000 to 2014, while falling 5 per cent across the 35 OECD member countries.

Per capita, New Zealand is among the five highest emitters in the OECD.

The report, which follows one in 2007, found 49 per cent of New Zealand's greenhouse gases are coming from agriculture, the highest share of any OECD country.

But it said the Emissions Trading Scheme - the main vehicle for New Zealand to meet its environmental targets - excluded farms.

The report also found Kiwis had the highest rate of car ownership in the OECD, and that the fleet was old and inefficient, making it the country's second large source of emissions.


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Source: AAP


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