Greenpeace is giving a frosty reception to the Government’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) climate targets announced today.

"The Government’s latest promise to reduce emissions through the NDC play fast and loose with the numbers by equating gross emissions with net emissions, they’re non-binding and, without tackling agriculture - our biggest source of emissions - they’ll have to wimp out by opting for techno fixes and offshore options," says Greenpeace Aotearoa agriculture campaigner Christine Rose.

"These new targets are too little, too slow and unless we take action to address agricultural emissions now, the heavy lifting is left to the rest of us while agribusiness continues to profit from pollution.

"Climate Minister James Shaw is claiming the NDC is 50% reductions by 2030, but he’s fudging the numbers by equating gross reductions with net reductions. In real terms it’s far less than 50% and will be meaningless anyway until they stop kicking the milk can down the road and tackle agricultural emissions.

"Agriculture is our biggest climate polluter but time after time, it has been given a free pass by this Government and successive governments before them. To reduce emissions we need to eliminate synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and lower stock numbers.

"James Shaw is about to join world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow for the biggest political moment in the climate crisis since governments met in Paris six years ago. In a time of greatest need, the conference will be a test of leadership and a time for action, but Jacinda Ardern is sending her climate minister along with nothing more than a dairy-stained suitcase of hot air."

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