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The New Zealand government submits its annual greenhouse gas inventory through the Ministry for the Environment on 15 April each year to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The most recent inventory, from April 2014, covers emissions for the period 1990-2012. 
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Based on the latest inventory, we know that agriculture: 
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<ul>
	<li>is the largest contributing sector to emissions: in 2012, 46% of total emissions.</li>
	<li>absolute emissions have increased significantly by 15% since 1990</li>
	<li>emissions intensity (i.e. emissions per unit of product) has declined on average by 1% per year every year since 1990. <br />
	<br />
	For more about this, see <a href="http://mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/nz-sixth-national-communication/index.html" target="_blank" title="http://mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/nz-sixth-n... - link will open in a new window">New Zealand&#39;s Sixth National Communication (page 89-90)</a> and <a href="questions.html">learn how NZ famers are already part of the solution</a>.</li>
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Based on projections in New Zealand&#39;s Sixth National Communication to the UNFCCC, published by MfE in December 2013, total direct agriculture emissions are projected to continue to increase: by 2030, the increase since 1990 is expected to be almost 30%. This is even though emissions intensity is expected to continue to decline, but not enough to counterbalance the growing emissions due to increased production. 
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This is why new technologies and practices are important if this growth in absolute emissions is to be halted and eventually reversed without constraining production in response to the growing global demand for high quality livestock products.<br />
Continued improvements to the inventory data also mean it is becoming more and more accurate. 
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Improvements during the past year included (see more about these on the <a href="http://www.mpi.govt.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=126&#38;id=2167" target="_blank" title="http://www.mpi.govt.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=126&#38;id=2... - link will open in a new window">MPI website</a>: 
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<ul>
	<li>Recalculation of 1990-2012 period (best practice) to encompass new/improved data, Emission Factors, methodology and source information. The overall change compared to the previous estimate since 2013 is very small though.</li>
	<li>Revised equation for portioning nitrogen in excreta in dung and urine. </li>
	<li>Inclusion of urease inhibitors in the calculation of the fraction of nitrogen in fertiliser that is volatilised. This is to reflect that urease inhibitors are already in use in New Zealand. </li>
	<li>Updated monthly lactation assumptions for dairy cows. </li>
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<strong>Links<br />
Global Warming Potentials &#38; CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents<br />
</strong><a href="newsletter,listing,148,global-warming-potentials-and-co2-equivalent-emissions.html">www.nzagrc.org.nz/newsletter,listing,148,global-warming-potentials-and-co2-equivalent-emissions.html</a> 
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<strong>New Zealand&#39;s Sixth National Communication</strong> <br />
<a href="http://mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/nz-sixth-national-communication/index.html">mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/nz-sixth-national-communication/index.html</a>&#160;&#160; 
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<strong>New Zealand&#39;s Greenhouse Gas Inventory <br />
</strong><a href="http://mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/greenhouse-gas-inventory-2014-snapshot/index.html">mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/greenhouse-gas-inventory-2014-snapshot/index.html</a>&#160;&#160; 
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<strong>Q&#38;A on New Zealand&#39;s GHG inventory figures</strong><br />
<a href="http://mfe.govt.nz/issues/climate/greenhouse-gas-emissions/overview.html">mfe.govt.nz/issues/climate/greenhouse-gas-emissions/overview.html</a>&#160;&#160; 
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<strong>Agriculture Inventory Advisory Panel Recommendations for 2014 Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Inventory</strong> <br />
<a href="http://www.mpi.govt.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=126&#38;id=2167">www.mpi.govt.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=126&#38;id=2167</a> &#160;<br />
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