Former prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern has told a conference in Dublin that politics needs to be taken out of climate action.
Speaking at the AIB sustainability conference, Ms Ardern has described agricultural emissions as "a very emotive issue," particularly in New Zealand, where they account for 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
"We need decisions that exist for more than one political cycle, we need decisions for the next 30 to 50 years," Ms Ardern said.
She said her government "could not continue to preclude agricultural emissions" but relationships she had built with farmer representatives early in her time in office helped to her to build some consensus on the issue.
Her government passed a law which means emissions from agriculture will be included in New Zealand's emission trading scheme by 2025, unless an alternative and better way to reduce them is found before then.
"We are on track unless the new government changes it, to be first country in the world to price agricultural emissions," Ms Ardern told the conference.
New Zealand's Labour Party, which Ms Ardern led until her decision to leave politics at the start of this year, is now in opposition.
Recent elections have produced a new governing coalition, led by the National Party, formed by three parties all opposed to the agricultural emissions policy.
During an interview section at the sustainability conference, Ms Ardern said politicians should strive to be remembered for what difference they have made.
"We're never there just to make a name for ourselves, we're there to make a change that will last," she said.
"That's the legacy that we should all be seeking."
Ms Ardern's comments come as the United Nations warns that countries' greenhouse gas-cutting pledges put Earth on track for warming far beyond key global limits, potentially up to a catastrophic 2.9 degrees this century.
