The Climate Change Commission say efforts to meeting a new target need to begin soon. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins
Submissions close on Sunday on what New Zealand's next international climate target should be.
New Zealand's current target under the Paris Agreement is cutting net emissions by 50 percent from gross 2005 levels by 2030, using a mix of home-grown changes and buying carbon reductions overseas.
The next target runs from 2031-35 and a former climate ambassador for New Zealand, Kay Harrison, has said it "needs to start with a 6, at least."
The UK's target is 81 percent below 1990 levels but most countries won't unveil their targets until February 2025.
The Climate Change Commission has told the government it could achieve up to 69 percent lower emissions off 2005 levels by 2035 purely by taking action at home, but efforts would need to start soon.
Achieving that much less planet-heating pollution inside New Zealand would require the government to step on the accelerator, it found.
Maintaining the current lower rates of technology uptake and systems change could see more like 47 percent reductions, the commission found - which would be a tough sell under the Paris deal because countries agreed to step up their efforts each time.
The main contributors to lowering emissions would be: Electrifying cars and other transport, more walking and cycling and public transport, switching industrial factories to electric options, more renewable energy, using low-methane livestock breeds, maintaining tree planting, and capturing gases from landfill and geothermal energy production.
GDP would still increase, and reduced air pollution in 2031-35 could have health benefits worth up to $12.1 billion, depending on how successful the emissions cuts were, the advice to the government said.
The coalition has to publish its new target in February alongside all other countries.
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