September 19th, 2024
Greenpeace Aotearoa has called for the Climate Change Commission to take urgent action to reduce emissions from the intensive dairy industry.
The organization criticised the Commission's draft advice on the Emissions Reduction Plan for 2026-2030 and its draft review of the 2050 emissions reduction targets outlined in the Zero Carbon Act, saying that it omitted any tangible agricultural recommendations and was too weak on the intensive dairy industry, New Zealand's largest contributor to climate pollution.
According to Christine Rose, lead climate campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, the Commission's latest advice "appears to have fallen into a black hole" and is "far too weak" on the intensive dairy industry. She called for the government to immediately transition the agricultural sector away from intensive dairying and take action to reduce superheating methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the industry.
Rose also said that the Commission's advice should be legally binding, giving it more power to direct politicians to act. She emphasized the urgency of reducing methane emissions quickly, saying that it was critical to staying within the 1.5-degree target for global warming and to ensure a safe and stable climate for all.
"Big Dairy, led by Fonterra, is raking in huge profits while everyday people here in New Zealand and around the world are suffering the impacts of the climate crisis, driven by the industry’s pollution," said Rose. "The government must take action to ensure a safe and stable climate and a thriving environment for all."
Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling for the government to align its policy with strong action to reduce emissions, including bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, decreasing the dairy herd size, phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and supporting ecological farming.