ACT would scrap New Zealand’s 2050 net zero target and repeal the Zero Carbon Act, replacing them with an emissions cap benchmarked against the country’s top five trading partners. Simon Court, ACT’s Infrastructure and Climate Change spokesperson, says the 2030 goal of cutting net emissions by 50% is unobtainable and unaffordable.

He says the pledge has already converted hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland to forestry and the party would pull out of the Paris agreement if it cannot renegotiate the terms.

“Government should not be setting wild and crazy targets that impoverish us,” Court says.

He says those five partners, including China, South Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe, have all either backed away from their commitments or changed how they intend to meet them.

“We’re not going to get out over our skis like the previous Labour, Green and New Zealand First government did by setting targets that are unrealistic.”

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.