The Bioenergy Association says the Government doesn't have a plan on how it is going to achieve its latest greenhouse gas reduction target, and it's offering to help.
The Government's post-2020 climate change target is to halve New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The association, which promotes the replacement of fossil based fuels with energy from renewable sources, says its strategy released five years ago, could deliver nearly 40 percent of the annual greenhouse gas emission reductions required to meet the Government's target ten years ahead of the deadline.
Most of that would come from a move to transport biofuels.
The Association's Executive Officer Brian Cox said the Government needed to see its climate change targets as an opportunity, especially for the regions, and not a cost.
"We believe that you can create a plan, using existing technologies and resources that are here, that also create jobs and economic growth in the regions, in particular.
"Where I am in Northland there are two meat processors, both using coal. One is starting to blend (coal) with wood pellets which come all the way from Taupo.
"Now, they've got wood chip available locally, so why aren't they using that wood chip?
"There are some good reasons why they're not in terms of the flowability of wood chips, compared to pellets, but that's an easy technical solution and there are a lot of other heat users like that, so that's just one example in the heat area, where we can do more by working with the surrounding rural area."
Mr Cox said the Bioenergy Association would work with other bodies next year to try to develop a plan to help meet the climate change target and the rural sector will play a keep part in developing bioenergy alternatives.
