Staff from the animal rights organisation SAFE are going on strike today and will be marching with School Strike 4 Climate NZ in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

SAFE CEO Debra Ashton said the strike is especially important to SAFE because farming of animals is a key contributor to climate change.

"Students are striking because their future is at stake, so we’re making a stand with them to demand action on climate change," said Ashton.

"In Aotearoa, animal agriculture contributes half of our greenhouse gas emissions. While it’s promising that the Climate Change Commission’s Draft Advice for Consultation highlights this contribution, the Commission’s draft advice doesn’t go far enough."

"The methane produced by over seven million cows in New Zealand is a key pollutant causing the warming of our atmosphere. We need a plan that supports a transition away from climate damaging animal agriculture into horticulture and other forms of plant-based food production."

School Strike 4 Climate Wellington Regional Secretary Rhiannon Mackie said "Our futures are hanging on a knife edge, determined by the climate policy that our Government implements, and by the action they take. We have no time to wait."

"It is unacceptable that we continue to see inaction from our Government on this crisis, and that is why people across Aotearoa are marching in the streets today."

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