Help farming curb climate breakdown
Bolder climate action. More sustainable farms. Better quality of life across the Pacific.
What's the problem?
The government’s current efforts will not protect us or communities in the Pacific from runaway climate destruction, or ensure that everyone has access to good, local food in the future. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The unfortunate reality is that agriculture is responsible for 50% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions¹. The only way for New Zealand to play our part in keeping within the crucial temperature limit of 1.5°C is if the government does more to reduce emissions in this area and support more farmers to transition to sustainable food production.
Current plans to put a price on the climate pollution from agribusiness would take 98 years to reach the same emissions price that we all pay at the petrol pump². These plans would only reduce agricultural emissions by less than 1% by 2030³.
Communities across the Pacific are bearing the brunt of this inaction with more frequent superstorms and heightened food insecurity.
What's the solution?
The government has set its climate targets – now the Ministers of Climate Change and Agriculture have until December to make a decision on how the farming sector will contribute to meeting them. We’re calling on them to ensure agribusiness pulls its weight by creating a strong emissions price that will lead to meaningful reductions in climate pollution while supporting the industry with the necessary services and infrastructure to transition.
This is an opportunity to adjust the industry with our largest climate footprint into one that is sustainable, healthy, and positioned for success in the future. Whether it’s growing kai for the marae, produce for a local farmers’ market or speciality goods for export, we can have thriving farms that are in balance with the land, and play their part in curbing climate breakdown so that farmers on the frontlines of climate change can survive and thrive too.
Call on the government to step up New Zealand’s climate target by incentivising more sustainable farms! Sign the petition above.
Footnotes:
- Ministry for the Environment, NZ’s interactive emissions tracker:
https://emissionstracker.mfe.govt.nz/#NrAMBoEYF12TwCIByBTALo2wBM4eiQCc2AHEltEA - Stuff.co.nz “Farmers offering to pay $137 million for their greenhouse pollution. Is that fair? (Feb 01, 2022) < https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/127643245/farmers-offering-to-pay-137m-for-their-greenhouse-pollution-is-that-fair>
- Stuff.co.nz “Climate change: Official plan to price and cut agricultural emissions would lead to less than 1% reduction” (November 23, 2021) < https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300461560/climate-change-official-plan-to-price-and-cut-agricultural-emissions-would-lead-to-less-than-1-per-cent-reduction>
NB: this petition was launched before the government had set its new 2030 target in November 2021– we will deliver this petition to Ministers with a focus on the second and third policy asks, with decisions on these to be made by December 2022.
