New Zealand Sets 10-20 Percent CO2 Cut By 2020 Target

New Zealand set itself a goal on Monday to cut carbon emissions by between 10 and 20 percent by 2020, holding off setting a hard target until a broader global climate pact now under negotiation takes shape.

Business groups said it was a sensible range -- broadly in line with major emitters like Japan and the United States, as well as neighboring Australia -- but environmentalists said it was not tough enough to tackle climate change.

While New Zealand's emissions comprise less than 0.5 percent of mankind's greenhouse gas pollution, it is one of fewer than 40 rich nations bound by the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol to curb emissions and thus has an important role in helping shape the debate of a post-Kyoto deal due to be agreed at year's end in Copenhagen.

With emissions already far above its current U.N. target and because about half of its greenhouse gas pollution comes from agriculture, which in turn provides about half its $29 billion in annual export earnings.

Emissions increased 24 percent from 1990 to 2008. Under Kyoto, its greenhouse gas emissions are supposed to show no increase from 1990 levels during the 2008-12 Kyoto period.

NEW ZEALAND EMISSIONS BREAKDOWN AS AT 2006

AGRICULTURE - 48 PERCENT: Primarily methane emissions from cattle and sheep, which number about 10 million and 33 million respectively. New Zealand is unique among developed countries for having such a high proportion of emissions from agriculture, with the average for developed countries about 12 percent.

ENERGY - 44 PERCENT: Mainly transport (19 percent) and electricity generation (11 percent) and manufacturing (7 percent). Transport is mostly made up from burning fuel for cars and trucks while electricity generation is from power stations fueled mostly by gas and coal.

INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES - 5 PERCENT: The bulk of this comes from the production of iron, steel and aluminum.

WASTE - 2 PERCENT

RENEWABLES: The country relies on hydro, geothermal and wind power to supply more than 60 percent of the nation's electricity.

Sources: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, New Zealand government

SOURCE : REUTERS