The committee recommends the proposed Climate Change Commission be given power to consider the form of greenhouse gas emission targets to ensure targets stay fit for purpose and to consider the impact of forestry offsets.
Another change will allow the commission to recommend changes to the 2050 targets if a significant change is likely to occur.
The Zero Carbon Bill establishes the independent commission to advise the Government and help it reach greenhouse reduction targets.
They include methane emissions 10% lower than 2017 levels by 2030 and 24% to 47% by 2050 with net emissions of other gases to be zero by 2050.
It acknowledged concern by submitters at the negative impact on the primary sector and communities of using forestry offsets.
It recommends inserting a requirement for the commission and Minister for Climate Change to have regard to how emission budgets will affect land use change and the implications for communities.
“While this would implicitly require them to consider land use change we think that this consideration should be explicit,” the committee said.
“This would appropriately recognise the risks associated with land use change and the concern people have for how forestry may affect rural communities.”
The commission will in 2024 be required to advise on whether emissions from international aviation and shipping should be included in future emission budgets.
The committee recommended changing the wording setting out the ambition of emission budgets, which talks of the need for emissions budgets that are ambitious but technically and economically feasible.
It recommended replacing feasible with achievable.
“We consider that the use of feasible could limit how ambitious an emissions budget may be.”
