Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Footprinting Strategy
What is Greenhouse Gas footprinting?
Greenhouse gas footprinting, also referred to as carbon footprinting, determines the total volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted, in carbon equivalents, across the entire life-cycle of a product or service.
For example: It could be used to determine the volume of carbon emitted by one kilo of lamb farmed and packaged in New Zealand, transported to the United Kingdom, sold and consumed, in the month of July.
The outcome is expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2 – e). It includes all the inputs and outputs of GHGs in the production, supply, use and disposal of a product.
Why the focus on footprints?
In some markets, consumers and retailers have increasing expectations that products they find on their store shelves have sustainability credentials that can be verified such as whether a product is organically farmed or how much carbon was used to produce the product.
Since early 2008, there has been growing international interest in GHG footprinting. Governments, retailers, consumers, supply chain partners and NGOs are all becoming increasingly involved.
The benefits of Greenhouse Gas footprinting include:
- improving relationships with suppliers and customers;
- maintaining and/or enhancing market access;
- developing a better understanding of the environmental impacts, risks and liabilities associated with a product, process or service;
- identifying key areas for improvement and gains in efficiency;
- identifying areas where emissions can be reduced; and
- demonstrating a commitment to tackling climate change.
The New Zealand strategy
The New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Footprinting Strategy for the Land-Based Primary Sectors is an initiative developed in partnership with the primary sector at the end of 2007.
The strategy seeks to help New Zealand’s primary sectors respond to significant and increasing pressure by key export markets for information on the GHG-intensity of their products.
It also responds to a growing need in New Zealand for:
- more involvement in efforts to set international ‘rules’ for measuring GHG footprints and in any subsequent labeling regimes;
- a means by which primary producers can measure and validate their GHG footprints;
- gaps in current research and information on GHG emissions to be filled;
- identifying weaknesses and threats regarding New Zealand’s GHG product and production profiles; and
- capitalising on business opportunities for low carbon-intensity products.
National activity
1. Establishing GHG footprints for the primary sector
The development of sector-specific approaches to GHG footprinting is a key part of the Strategy.
These projects provide a standardised way for measuring and managing GHG emissions across the life-cycle of a product. The aim is to help sectors measure, manage and mitigate GHG emissions across the supply chain.
Emissions are counted through to a product’s end-of-life in specific export markets e.g. beef to North America, venison to Germany, kiwifruit to Japan, lamb to the United Kingdom.
The projects, carried out with industry involvement, identify emissions hot-spots, potential cost-savings, efficiency gains, areas for improved productivity, and provide a deeper understanding of all inputs and outputs across the value chain.
Projects undertaken represent over 80% of New Zealand’s primary sector exports.
Those currently underway are:
| Project | Project members |
|---|---|
| Dairy GHG footprint | Fonterra (lead); AgResearch, University of New South Wales, Scion |
| Forestry GHG footprint | Scion (lead); Landcare Research, Wood Processors Association; Nelson Forests, Tenon, Laminex, Earnslaw Bioenergy |
| Kiwifruit GHG footprint | Landcare Research (lead); Zespri, Plant&Food Research, AgriLink NZ Ltd, Massey University |
| Summerfruit GHG footprint | SummerfruitNZ (lead); CATALYST® R&D Ltd |
| Pipfruit GHG footprint | Landcare Research (lead); PipfruitNZ, Plant&Food Research |
| Wine GHG footprin | Landcare Research (lead); New Zealand Winegrowers, Plant&Food Research |
| Arable GHG footprint | Foundation for Arable Research (lead); AgriLink NZ Ltd |
| Fertilisers GHG footprint | AgResearch (lead); New Zealand Fertiliser Manufacturer's Association |
| Strong Wool GHG footprint | AgResearch (lead); MWNZ, Elders, Wool Partners International |
| Berry-fruit GHG footprint | Landcare Research (lead); Boysenberry NZ, Blackcurrant NZ, Plant&Food Research |
| Lamb GHG footprint | AgResearch (lead); Meat Industry Association, Balance AgriNutrients, Landcorp, Meat & Wool New Zealand, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited |
| Onions GHG footprint | AgriLink (lead); Onions New Zealand |
| Venison GHG footprint | AgResearch (lead); DeerResearch/DINZ, Landcorp |
| Beef/Mutton GHG footprint | AgResearch (lead); MIA, Landcorp, Balance Agrinutrients, MWNZ |
| Zespri – water footprint | Landcare Research (lead); Zespri, Plant&Food Research, AgriLink NZ Ltd |
| Consumer Preferences and Expectations | AERU (lead); Zespri, ANZCO |
| Timber Products in Landfills | Scion |
| Landfill Disposal | ERM |
| On-farm GHG Footprint Variability and Tech-Transfer | AgResearch (lead); Fonterra |
2. Professorship in Life-Cycle Management in Agriculture and Forestry
A government-funded Professorship in Life-Cycle Management was announced at the end of 2008, in recognition of the critical nature of life-cycle research.
In April 2009, Massey University was announced as the successful host of the Professorship and an associated New Zealand Centre for Life-Cycle Management. The Centre is to be set up in conjunction with leading Crown Research Institutes: AgResearch, Landcare New Zealand, Plant and Food, and Scion.
International engagement and standards
New Zealand is working internationally to support the development of robust, transparent and usable methods for footprinting primary products. New Zealand is contributing our world-class analysis and research to this process, providing a world-leading approach to primary sector GHG footprinting and advocating to ensure consistent and fair approaches are taken on GHG footprinting issues.
Three of the most influential processes in the development of international standards for the GHG footprinting of products and services are:
1. PAS 2050
United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); British Standards and Carbon Trust draft standard.
The Publicly Available Specification on GHG Footprinting for Products and Services (PAS 2050) was released on 29 October 2008. For more information on the PAS 2050, visit the website of the BSI Group.
2. International Standards Organisation (ISO)
In late 2008, ISO confirmed that it would develop an international standard on GHG footprinting of products and services and an accompanying communication standard.
New Zealand is represented on the ISO Working Group developing the standard, which is due to be completed in 2011. MAF is the project leader, under an agreement with Standards New Zealand, for management of New Zealand’s technical input into the development of the Standard.
3. World Resources Institute (WRI)
The other main international standard-maker in GHG footprinting, the World Resources Institute (WRI) announced its intention in mid-2008 to develop a product level GHG footprint standard, to complement its existing Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the most widely used international accounting tool to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions at firm level.New Zealand’s representation is significant, chairing the technical group looking at rules and requirements for the collection and use of data in the calculation of carbon footprints.
For more information visit the website of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative.
Contact for Enquiries
Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change
MAF
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
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