Download Why shouldn`t New Zealand aim to be the first

The role of research in New
Zealand’s sustainable future
David Parker
Energy and Climate Change Minister
June 2008
“Why shouldn’t New Zealand aim to be the first
country which is truly sustainable? Not by
sacrificing our living standards, but by being smart
and determined.”
- Prime Minister Helen Clark
Climate change will change our natural
environment
• Increased frequency of severe
climatic events like droughts,
floods, and storms
• Wetter in west, drier in east
• Changed growing
seasons/regions
• Biosecurity risks
Miillion tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
-20
-100
-80
-84.1
16.9
Total excess emissions
Waste
Kyoto Protocol Article 3.3
forests
Forest sinks
5.0
Industrial Processes
0
7.0
Projects to reduce emissions
-60
18.8
Deforestation
20
Stationary energy
-40
Transport
40
Agriculture
NZ’s projected deficit has reduced dramatically
for the 1st Kyoto Commitment Period
36.0
27.4
14.7
-5.3
Role of research and education
Universities contribute:
• Research on behavioural and technological
issues
• Scientific understanding and analysis of our
energy resource base, climactic data,
adaptation and mitigation issues
• Analysis and presentation of views to inform
public debates and policy development
Funding for sustainable development research
Budget 2008: $32.5m over 4 years:
• $10 m for renewable energy research
• $18.5m for transformation Research, Science
and Technology
– Includes $4m for the Low Carbon Energy
Technologies (LCET) Fund
• $4m for deep geothermal energy research
Growth areas
• Renewable energy
• Energy efficiency
• Agricultural mitigation
90 percent renewable electricity by 2025
New Build Generation Costs
Geothermal
• NZ already a world
leader in geothermal
development
• 8% of electricity from
shallow geothermal
• Untapped deep
geothermal resource
Wind energy
• Small proportion in New
Zealand at present, but
big potential
• Integration into grid
Wave and tidal
• Marine Energy Deployment
Fund: $8m over four years
• First award made to Crest
Energy for $1.85m
Biofuels
• Biofuel Bill will mean sales of
biofuels are mandatory
• Sustainability standard being
developed
• Second generation biofuels
Energy efficiency
Electric vehicles
• NZ to be world leaders in using
electric vehicles
• Powered by renewables
• ‘Smart grid’ needed to balance load
Designline hybrid electric bus
Building design
• Building Code changes
mean better insulation
and efficiency
standards
• The future lies in
smarter design to
reduce energy use
Conservation House
Recycling/Waste recovery
• Reduce emissions by
re-using and recycling
• Engineering, design,
and science all play a
part
Agricultural mitigation
• NZ to continue as a
world leader in
agricultural emissions
reduction research
• NZ to lead the world in
reducing agricultural
emissions
• Livestock Emissions
and Abatement
Research Network
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Biggest ever boost to primary sector R&D
• $700 million over 1015 years
• Four focus areas:
– Sustainable pastoral
systems including
emission reductions
– Research and
education capability
– Food innovation
clusters
– Internationalisation
Summary
• Climate change means opportunity as well as
risk
• Sustainability is part of the government’s
economic transformation agenda
• Innovation is key to making the most of
change