Greenpeace is today calling for the North Island’s extreme rain and flooding event to be named as a climate disaster.

"As our friends, family and neighbours across Auckland and the North Island have been battered by unprecedented rain and flooding, it’s a visceral reminder that climate change is upon us right now. We need to band together as communities through this disaster, then collectively demand more climate action from our politicians," says Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson. "Climate change is already impacting us, and people are paying the price. It’s not enough for politicians to talk about climate change, they must also act to prevent further climate chaos by cutting climate heating gasses and adapting society to become more climate resilient.

"The unprecedented rain and flooding that has hit over recent days is not only a terrible sign of things to come but a visceral reminder that climate change is upon us right now and a clarion call for more action.

"The science is clear that the vast volume of climate-heating gasses now in our atmosphere due to fossil fuels and industrial agriculture is driving the intensity and frequency of extreme climate events like this.

"We need to see the authorities name this for what it is - a climate disaster, and then act to mitigate by cutting climate heating gasses and to adapt by designing more climate resilience into our society," says Larsson.

In his first week on the job, Greenpeace called on Prime Minister Hipkins to adopt a three-point climate rescue plan which included regulating dairy, electrifying transport and keeping oil and gas in the ground.

"We have seen important acknowledgement from Prime Minister Hipkins and the Emergency Management Minister McAnulty that climate change is a driver. Once the immediate risks from the North Island floods have been managed, we need to see meaningful action by this Government to actually cut the climate pollution that drives the climate crisis.

"And, while National Party leader Christopher Luxon has acknowledged this catastrophic event with the statement that, ‘Climate change is real,’ that fact is still a total disconnect from his party’s plans to reinstate offshore oil and gas drilling," says Larsson.

"These climate floods are a visceral reminder of the need for politicians to take real action to cut climate pollution. Lofty statements and far-off targets are not going to stop the climate crisis. We need courageous action to regulate the worst polluters.

"Thankfully, the solutions that reduce climate pollution can also make us more resilient to future disasters. For example, supporting farmers to transition to more ecological farming methods helps cool the climate by reducing methane and storing carbon in the soil. It can also make farms more resilient to floods, droughts and pests," says Larsson.

A recently released Horizon poll shows that there is a growing majority of New Zealanders who support more government regulation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy industry, and increasing support for action to cut fertiliser and cow numbers.

"The flooding of Auckland and the surrounding regions has been terrifying, and it’s a brutal reminder that the climate crisis is upon us and that it will happen more often, with increasing ferocity. This is why we call for more urgent action to stop the drivers of climate change, like fossil fuels and intensive dairy," says Larsson.

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