The Government has ruled out further delays to the start of the Emissions Trading Scheme for high-polluting sectors of the economy.
Businesses are putting pressure on the Government to again postpone the introduction of the Scheme to the energy, transport and industrial sectors on 1 July.
If key trading partners have not made significant progress by next year, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says it is likely the 2013 date for the full scheme to take effect will be pushed out.
But Dr Smith says there will be no changes until then because the system has just begun to encourage the new forestry planting which the country needs.
He says New Zealand must take a soft first step into emissions trading now to begin its long term approach to climate change.
