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

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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 10-15 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