"Te hau mārohi ki anamata - Towards a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy" is Aotearoa New Zealand's first emissions reduction plan. It was developed following the advice of the Ināia tonu nei: a low emissions future for Aotearoa report submitted by the Climate Change Commission in June 2021. The ERP contains strategies, policies and actions for achieving the first emissions budget.
Notable actions promoted by the ERP include the following:
- increasing access to electric vehicles (EVs), beginning the process of decarbonising heavy transport and freight and helping more people to walk, cycle and take public transport
- supporting businesses to improve energy efficiency and move away from fossil fuels, such as coal, by continuing to roll out the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry fund
- banning new low- and medium-temperature coal boilers and phasing out existing ones
- introducing an emissions pricing mechanism for agriculture
- accelerating the delivery of agricultural emissions reduction tools and technologies for farmers and farming businesses through the establishment of a new Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions
- reducing the amount of waste (including food waste) going to landfills, investing in waste infrastructure and expanding landfill gas capture
- establishing native forests at scale to develop long-term carbon sinks and improve biodiversity
- accelerating the supply of woody biomass to replace coal and other carbon intensive fuels and materials
- driving mission-led innovation in some of the most challenging parts of our economy through climate innovation platforms and the wider research, science and innovation system
- requiring refrigerants to be captured and destroyed when heating and cooling systems reach the end of their life.
