WELLINGTON. Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is introducing a standardized, science-based, transparent, and reliable tool for measuring farm-level greenhouse gas emissions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said on Friday.
"Currently, more than 10 calculators offer varying methods to estimate emissions," McClay said, adding this is confusing and only adds an administrative burden to New Zealand's primary producers.
This methodology, developed collaboratively with the sector, ensures alignment across calculators, and includes key features such as the use of farm-specific inputs like stock counts, supplementary feed, dairy production, fertilizer use, and farm region, he said.
The standardized, science-based methodology is a first step at reducing complexity and ensuring farmers have access to tools they can trust, making it easier to understand and tackle on-farm emissions, McClay said.
The New Zealand government has also invested 400 million NZ dollars (230.52 million U.S. dollars) over four years in emission-reducing technologies to work with farmers to meet obligations without closing down farms, and sending jobs and production overseas, he said. ■
