Table 9: Assessment of progress on lower priority recommendations from 2005 review

LULUCF

Improve the information/quantification on the burning and decay of scrub vegetation.

Partially implemented

Estimates made but awaiting additional data from LUCAS project.

Agriculture

Keep under review the use of a linear extrapolation of enteric emission factors and factors for nitrogen excreted per head. Consideration should be given to examining the trend if single year rather than three-year average data is used.

Partially implemented

Other relationships have been tested; use of single year figure to determine trend not examined as believed would have no material effect. Recommend that trend be reviewed annually to check there is no saturation effect.

Waste

Consider using an alternative calculation methodology for emissions from wastewater treatment to increase the robustness of this forecast estimate.

Implemented

Research study almost complete; methodology will be changed.

Energy

Consider revising the methodology for calculating non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion to a UNFCCC Tier 1 approach (emission factor X fuel consumption).

Implemented

Non-carbon dioxide fuel combustion emissions now calculated using specific emission factors; i.e., consistent with UNFCCC tier 1 approach.

Policies (waste)

Revisit the basis of the savings forecast from policies in this sector and document the attributed savings in a clear and transparent fashion.

Partially implemented

Documentation of attributed savings still needs to be improved.

Policies (PREs)

Conduct a comparison of the project economics provided to Government under the PRE tender round with those currently assumed for each plant type in SADEM to help improve the realism of the data in the model.

Implemented

Generation technology economics in SADEM were reviewed and compared to project economics; however generation technologies are now modelled in GEM. If not already done so, then a similar comparison should be carried out for GEM.

Policies (PREs)

Conduct a comparison of the modelled (SADEM) savings per kWh with those assumed in the PRE evaluation to ensure these are broadly consistent.

Undetermined in this review

Reported that a comparison would be carried out.

Policies (NGAs)

Ensure an improved understanding of impacts of Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements is obtained from the ongoing work by the Ministry for Economic Development looking at energy demand within the heavy industry sector.

Implemented

Study on energy demand in heavy industry commissioned by the Ministry for Economic Development[http://www.med.govt.nz/upload/38670/heavy-industry-energy-demand.pdf] Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements no longer relevant as proposal for a broad-based carbon tax has been dropped.

Compilation

Reinvigorate efforts to ensure the use of common datasets across all sectors.

Implemented

This has been implemented.

Compilation

Consider aligning the definitions of projections used in the net position work to those used for international reporting to the UNFCCC.

Partially implemented

The ‘most likely scenario’ projections in the net position report are aligned to the UNFCCC ‘with measures’ projections; i.e. it encompasses currently implemented and adopted policies and measures. The upper and lower scenarios are not aligned with any definition and, depending on the sector, are produced by considering both uncertainties in emissions factors, activity data and the outcome of policy. As discussed in the section on uncertainty, modelling the impact of uncertainty should be done separately from examining the effects of policies or other events. These are probably better treated by constructing different scenarios.