How climate change impacts our primary industries
Climate change is a global issue.
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are increasing in the atmosphere.
This is causing air and ocean temperatures to rise. Over time, higher temperatures are predicted to change weather patterns and change the environment from its current state.
New Zealand's economy relies on our environment and the primary production it supports, like farming, forestry, and fishing.
A changing climate has a range of impacts, including:
- affecting farming yields
- more unpredictable weather
- more rainfall and erosion
- causing more frequent droughts in some regions
- increasing the range and pervasiveness of pests and diseases
- affecting wild fish stocks and aquaculture species, such as salmon, and mussels.
Find out more about fisheries and climate change
New Zealand’s emissions profile is unique
There are different types of greenhouse gases.
Long-lived gases
Carbon dioxide – caused by burning fossil fuels, cultivating soil, and the use of urea fertilisers.
Nitrous oxide – produced in soils when urine, manure, or nitrogen fertilisers are deposited on them.
Short-lived gases
Biogenic methane – caused by animals digesting feed, and decomposing effluent in low-oxygen conditions, such as ponds and manure storage system.
Agriculture and forestry play an important role in reducing global greenhouse gas concentrations
Agriculture and livestock produce about half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions – this is unusual for a developed country.
Our forests store a large quantity of carbon. This prevents carbon from collecting in the atmosphere, reducing our net emissions profile.
However, our strong profile on carbon sequestration does not offset our methane emissions we are investing heavily in.
Find out more about agriculture and greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gas emissions profile of the Māori economy
The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and MPI commissioned Business and Economic Research (BERL) to do research to better understand the greenhouse gas emissions profile of the Māori economy.
The research highlights risks and opportunities that the transition may bring based on the industry composition of the Māori economy asset base, GDP, and workforce.
Key findings
- The Māori economy has a relatively high share of pastoral farming and as a result is over-represented in New Zealand's emissions profile.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from the Māori economy account for 11.2% of New Zealand's emissions profile, despite the Māori economy making up 6.4% of New Zealand's GDP. This is solely due to the high emissions intensity of the sectors in which the Māori economy is located, not because these businesses are high emitters relative to their peers.
- The key driver of the relatively high emissions profile of the Māori economy is the investment of Māori collectives in pastoral farming.
- Sheep, beef, and dairy farming account for 72.4% of Māori economy emissions, compared with 53.4% of the whole New Zealand economy.
The report identifies opportunities for the expansion of low-emissions industries that are already well-established parts of the Māori economy like forestry, low-emissions horticulture, and education and training.
The findings in this report focus exclusively on gross emissions. Accordingly, the results do not capture emissions removals through Māori forestry activity. Subsequent work (which will be done in discussion with Māori landowners) will consider the more nuanced question of gross emission, removals, and net emissions.
Māori economy emissions profile [PDF, 4.7 MB]
Our work with domestic and international agencies on climate change issues
New Zealand is committed to reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas production. One of MPI's roles is to advise the government on policy matters. Our aim is to support the government and sectors prepare for current and future changes.
We also work with other government agencies, like the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), to look after New Zealand's natural resources. We are involved in reporting the quantity of greenhouse gases produced or stored in trees by our agriculture and forestry activities.
The Government has set clear targets for reducing emissions
The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Act sets domestic targets for reducing New Zealand’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
These are separate to our international commitments where New Zealand contributes to global climate change targets through the Paris Agreement (2016).
Find out more about the Paris Agreement and other international responses
Our domestic targets are:
- net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases other than biogenic methane by 2050.
- a reduction in biogenic methane emissions of between 14% to 24% below 2017 levels by 2050, including a 10% reduction by 2030.
New Zealand’s legislated target was reset in 2025 after taking advice from both the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Independent Methane Science Review Panel.
New Zealand’s main international climate change targets are set under the Paris Agreement, which stipulates each country needs to set or update their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every 5 years. Each NDC is meant to represent each country’s highest possible ambition.
New Zealand’s first NDC, covers the period 2021 to 2030 and aims to reduce net emissions by 50% below gross 2005 levels by 2030.
New Zealand’s second NDC, for the period 2031 to 2035, aims to reduce net emissions by 51% to 55% below gross 2005 levels by 2035.
The plans to reduce emissions
New Zealand’s first emissions reduction plan (ERP) was published in May 2022 for the period 2022 to 2025.
The second emissions reduction plan (ERP2) was published in December 2024 and amended in early 2026 and is the government’s plan to meet the second emissions budget for the period 2026 to 2030.
ERP2 takes a technology and market-led approach to reduce net emissions.
The plan outlines the actions to meet the second emissions budget.
Progress towards emissions budgets and targets is tracked by MCERT.
Key actions included in the agriculture chapter of ERP2
- Accelerating the development of mitigation tools and technologies to reduce on-farm emissions.
- Developing measurement of on-farm emissions for use by 2025.
- Conducting the independent methane science and 2050 target review.
Key actions included in the forestry chapter of ERP2
- Restoring price stability and confidence in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme to give certainty to forestry.
- Limiting whole-farm conversions to NZ ETS forestry to protect highly productive farmland.
- Exploring ways to partner with the private sector to plant trees on Crown-owned land.
- Improving the consenting framework for wood processing.
- Ensuring the Wood Processing Growth Fund continues to support commercial investment.
Second emissions reduction plan – Ministry for Cities, Environment and Transport (MCERT)
National adaptation plan for climate change
The first national adaptation plan was released in 2022.
The plan will help communities have information to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Aotearoa New Zealand's first national adaptation plan – Ministry for the Environment
Funding research and development projects
MPI funds and participates in climate change research and development projects. These programmes aim to understand climate change and how it affects farming systems, livestock management, crops, horticulture, and forestry. We're also interested in the impacts of climate change and how primary producers can adapt to a changing climate.
Our main areas for research are:
- improving the accuracy of our national greenhouse gas inventory and reporting
- understanding more about how greenhouse gases are produced and how they can be reduced
- the impacts of climate change and supporting adaptation to its effects
- international research into finding ways to grow more food without growing greenhouse gas emissions, through the Global Research Alliance.
Read more about our environment and climate change research
Climate change-related funding programmes
- Funding and rural support programmes
- Accelerating new greenhouse gas mitigations
- Hill Country Erosion Programme for councils
- Adverse Events support programme
- Greenhouse gas inventory research fund
- Supporting catchment groups for farmers
- Māori Agribusiness Extension programme
- Funding the AgMatters.nz website
- Primary Industry Advisory Services
The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
The ETS puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions to encourage their reduction over time. It also encourages planting and forest growth to reduce net greenhouse gas production.
Find out more about climate change
New Zealand’s interactive emissions tracker – Ministry for the Environment
What is climate change – Te Ara Encyclopaedia