New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Act could make it one of the first advanced economies in the world to commit itself to net zero emissions — and the first with such a large agricultural sector. Like any pioneer entering uncharted waters, there are challenges to be overcome as well as first-mover opportunities. A successful pathway to net zero needs clarity in the destination, and fairness and transparency in the transition. I will argue that the simplest way of designing fairness and transparency into the Zero Carbon Act is to focus on the long-term temperature goal set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. This means treating all sectors equally in terms of their impact on global temperature. Traditional farmers who are not contributing to ongoing global warming would not be penalised as if they are, while an agribusiness initiative that would cause a large increase in methane emissions, with a correspondingly disproportionate impact on global temperature, would be treated accordingly. And recipients of off-shore oil exploration permits would need to explain what will happen to the carbon dioxide that their oil will generate. Get this right, and New Zealand could show the way for many larger countries who have yet to think seriously about bringing extractive industries and agricultural emissions into climate policy. Treating all sectors fairly means all sectors pulling together. He waka eke noa. A public lecture delivered by Myles Allen from the Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment & Department of Physics, University of Oxford. This lecture was delivered at the Whangarei Public Library on Thursday 21 March 2019, as part of the Global Speakers Series.