Source: Greenpeace
The Climate Change Commission must address agriculture emissions, in particular climate pollution caused by the intensive dairy industry, says Greenpeace Aotearoa.
The Climate Change Commission today released its draft advice on the Emissions Reduction Plan for 2026-2030, as well as its draft review of the 2050 emissions reduction targets laid out in the Zero Carbon Act. Christine Rose, lead climate campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, says that the advice must be strengthened during the upcoming consultation period.
“The Commission’s latest advice omits any tangible agricultural recommendations, even though the agriculture sector is responsible for around half of New Zealand’s total emissions. That means what has been released today is only half a plan” says Greenpeace spokesperson Christine Rose.
“Action on agriculture emissions appears to have fallen into a black hole. The fact that the Government has not yet declared its position on the industry proposal ‘He Waka Eke Noa’ has stopped the Climate Change Commission in its tracks. The Commission’s latest advice is far too weak on New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter: the intensive dairy industry.
“The Government must include urgent action in the next Emissions Reduction Plan to substantially reduce superheating methane and nitrous oxide emissions caused by intensive dairying,” says Rose.
“The Commission’s advice should reflect the scale and speed of action required, and call on the Government to immediately transition our agricultural sector away from intensive dairying.
“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,” says Rose.
“We need to see strong action to tackle Big Dairy, bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, decreasing the dairy herd size, phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and strong support for ecological farming – low emissions regenerative, organic farming, that works with, instead of against, nature.
“We would expect the Commission’s advice to reflect the need for action on agriculture, but instead of acting with the urgency required, the advice suggests waiting for the roll out of emissions reductions techno-fixes.”
The Climate Change Commission’s advice is also not binding, which means the Government can choose whether or not to follow it. Greenpeace says that needs to change.
“In this existential crisis, we need a tiger, not a pussycat. We need a Climate Change Commission with teeth, that can direct politicians to act. The commission should be given more power, and its advice should be legally binding,” says Rose.
“Government policy must actively reduce emissions and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. That means it must be aligned with the most up-to-date science, and advice from the expert scientists on the Commission.”
Because agriculture makes up around half of New Zealand’s emissions, Greenpeace says advice around the industry’s emissions is particularly important.
“We need to see a dramatic reduction in emissions this decade to stay within that 1.5 degrees of warming. For communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, that target is absolutely critical,” says Rose.
“In particular, here in New Zealand that means we have a responsibility to reduce methane emissions quickly, because agricultural methane emissions make up a large proportion of our emissions.
“Methane is a superheating greenhouse gas. Right now, we’re not even on track to meet the 2030 target of a 10% reduction in methane emissions, let alone the 2050 target of a 24-47% reduction. We’re calling for a much greater reduction in methane emissions over those same time periods – and for Government policy to align with these targets, rather than relying on ‘He Waka Eke Noa’, which will result in only a 1% reduction in emissions from the agricultural sector,” says Rose.
“We are now in a critical period, where action on climate change is becoming increasingly urgent. Big Dairy and its focus on profit at the exclusion of all else is putting us all at risk. The Government must take action to ensure a safe and stable climate and a thriving environment for all.”
