KEY POINTS:
Power generated from cow dung has been identified as one way New Zealand could make billions from an emissions trading scheme.
The work of a Christchurch company in using biomass for electricity generation is offered as an example of a business opportunity in a report issued this morning as a curtain-raiser to a climate change conference in Auckland.
The 4th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference will be attended tomorrow morning by the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Kevin Rudd and Helen Clark, who will give their views on climate change.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also agreed to participate in the conference by making a video address.
More than 80 expert speakers from around the world will explore current climate change issues of relevance to business, such as implementing emissions trading and investments.
At the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development's "clean billions" breakfast at SkyCity today, a report for the Tindall Foundation will be issued in support of Stephen Tindall chairing the climate change leadership forum, which advises ministers on emissions trading.
The report says businesses will be expected to go beyond "carbon neutral" to become "carbon negative" .
It says many New Zealand firms are behind those in other countries in measuring the potential effects of pricing carbon and preparing plans to reduce it.
But it softens the blow by adding that opportunities are available for businesses and the economy which actively embrace emissions trading and make efforts to cut emissions, improve products and reduce emissions costs.
The report says businesses could make billions from new technology investments stimulated by the proposed emissions trading scheme.
Some of the main opportunities are included in biomass-like opportunities for some farmers to generate electricity from cow manure methane.
Natural Systems is already running a pilot project on a Landcorp dairy farm in North Canterbury.
Technical director Ian Bywater said a farmer with 850 cows could save up to $30,000 a year in electricity costs.
