Explosive new sea level rise data released on the weekend highlights the urgency of acting on climate pollution from New Zealand’s intensive dairy industry, says Greenpeace Aotearoa.

The modeling by NZ SeaRise shows sea level rise could be twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of Aotearoa, meaning many communities and key infrastructure face inundation within ten years, far sooner than previously expected.

Greenpeace Aotearoa agriculture campaigner Christine Rose says: "This should be a clarion call for action that wakes the Ardern Government from its slumber on climate change."

"It’s a brutal injustice that New Zealanders living on the coast will pay the price of climate change, while the dairy industry continues to pollute unhindered.

"Every Government, every nation, and every industry must do its bit to avert the worst case scenarios of the looming climate catastrophe. For New Zealand that means urgent action to reduce climate pollution from our worst polluter: intensive dairy.

"The dairy industry and its chemical enablers, fertiliser companies Ravensdown and Ballance have long been given a free pass to pollute and this terrifying new data shows that the cost of that will be paid by everyday New Zealanders as their homes and communities are inundated by storm surges and the rising tide," says Rose.

Greenpeace is calling for action by the Government to halve the dairy herd, cut synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and shift to more plant-based regenerative organic farming to reduce climate emissions from New Zealand’s "worst climate polluter".

"New Zealanders must be able to rely on the Government to address agricultural emissions to avert catastrophe. We need to see action on intensive dairying in the Emissions Reduction Plan later this month. To have any credibility on its climate change response, the Government must act now to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and cut cow numbers," says Rose.

"It is the people of New Zealand who will be paying the price - through lost homes, increased insurance costs and eroded properties, while dairy polluters pay less than 1% for their emissions. This is an injustice which must be rejected by all New Zealanders."

"The Government must support a transition to plant-based, regenerative organic agriculture to address sea level rise and climate change."

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