This first section gathers the personal details that are required by the Ministry for the Environment.

Submitters’ names and submissions may be published on the Ministry for the Environment website and/or released under the Official Information Act. Your email address will NOT be published.

Are you submitting at the invitation of either the Anglican Diocese of Wellington or Auckland?

Now it's time to make your submission! We've provided some guidance you could use, but the more personal to you the better.

What do you think is working well in New Zealand to reduce our emissions and achieve the 2050 net zero target?

You could talk about how you’ve been reducing your emissions and local initiatives that you’d like to see more of.

E.g. In recent years, I’ve been trying to reduce my carbon emission by [cycling to work]. I have appreciated [the new cycle lanes in ____]. My church has been [composting our food scraps]. It has been good to have [locally accessible funding for community compost initiatives]. I’d like to see more initiatives like this to help everyday people and local communities reduce our emissions.

Question 0.3. What, if any, other sectors or areas do you think have significant opportunities for cost-effective emissions reduction?

You could note that some industries do not face a price on climate pollution because the government gives them free carbon credits (e.g. methanol, aluminium, steel, concrete, fertiliser), or leaves them out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (agriculture).

You could talk about other initiatives that you’d like to see in areas such as energy, transport, agriculture, waste, etc.

E.g. While I would like to [cycle to work], I am limited by [the lack of bike lanes], it would be good to see more investment in [cycling infrastructure].

I'd like to see all industries pulling their weight, and ending free carbon credits will incentivise cost-effective reductions in companies that currently get a free pass.

Question 0.4. Do you agree that the Government should continue to use the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme as a key tool to encourage emissions reductions, stay within budgets and achieve the 2050 target?

We suggest ticking 'agree' here.

Tick the box you think best applies

Question 3.1. What else can the Government do to support NZ ETS market credibility and ensure the NZ ETS continues to help us to meet our targets and stay within budgets?

You could talk about the values of what a good ETS should reflect,

e.g: The NZ ETS should ensures a fair distribution of effort in cutting climate pollution, and support everyday people AND businesses to decarbonise and thrive in a low carbon future.

You could give specific recommendations to improve the pricing of pollution, such as that the government should:

- Incentivise actions that cut pollution at the source, rather than encouraging companies to offset business as usual

-signal as soon as possible that it plans to end free carbon credits by 2030.

Question 3.2. What are the potential risks of using the NZ ETS as a key tool to reduce emissions?

You could make one of the following points:

-It’s not working well enough. The Climate Change Commission has warned that the Emissions Trading Scheme might not encourage enough emissions reduction to get to net zero.

- There are some major barriers stopping the Emissions Trading Scheme from properly pricing pollution. Free carbon credits distort the carbon market and are holding back decarbonisation in key industries.

- It’s currently unfair, because ordinary people pay a pollution price in the cost of many things they buy, but large industrial polluters get to pollute for free.

- We shouldn’t be subsidising anyone to pollute today, let alone in 2050. It’s time to end free carbon credits to allow the ETS to do its job properly.

Question 3.3. How can the Government manage these risks of using the NZ ETS as the key lever to reduce emissions?

Ending free carbon credits by 2030 needs to be a key part of the second Emissions Reduction Plan.

You could ask the government to:

- Fully phase out free carbon credits by 2030

- co-invest in the upfront costs for decarbonising highly polluting industries where technology is available but cost is a barrier in the form of loans

- Introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism like the EU to create a level playing field for industries while they still face the full carbon price

- fund just transition plans and involve workers where decarbonisation options aren’t available

Question 3.6. Please provide any additional feedback on the Government’s thinking about how to use the NZ ETS to reduce emissions.

E.g. -Ending free carbon credits by 2030 could free up over 35 million tonnes worth of emissions credits by 2035.

- The European Union has legislated to end free carbon credits and swap them for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

- Free carbon credits were intended to be a transitional measure, with the original Emissions Trading Scheme legislation in 2008 setting a phase out by 2030..

- Decarbonisation options for heavy industry are developing rapidly, and can be adopted if the right incentives are in place.

- The concrete industry supports swapping out free carbon credits for a Carbon Border Mechanism.