Climate Change Commission announces upcoming programme of work

 As part of the Climate Change Commissions (CCC) role in providing evidence-based, independent advice to Government, they have a number of pieces of work coming up through 2021/22. These are all set out in the Climate Change Response Act and will play a part in lowering emissions across Aotearoa.  

Advice over 2021 - 2022 includes:  

• Emissions Trading Scheme unit limits and auction price control settings: early next year they will provide recommendations on limits and price control settings for units in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. This is the first in what will be annual advice they will provide to the Minister of Climate Change to feed into yearly updates to regulations on the NZ ETS settings. 
• Progress on primary sector climate change commitments: by June next year, the CCC will report to the Minister on the primary sector’s readiness for a farm-level emissions pricing system. This advice will include an assessment of the progress that has been made towards meeting milestones for the primary sector outlined in the Climate Change Response Act. It will also consider how ready farmers are to start complying with reporting and surrender obligations.
• Agricultural assistance: under the Act Ministers must ask for the CCC's advice on what assistance, if any, should be provided to farmers in a future farm-level emissions pricing system. They will announce when this request has been made and publish the Terms of Reference. 

The CCC will also begin to think about their longer-term work. This includes monitoring and reporting the Government’s progress towards its emissions reduction plans and on the national adaptation plans for Aotearoa.  This work will encourage an equitable transition to a climate-resilient and low-emissions Aotearoa and ensure our country delivers on its commitments to global climate change action.