Greenpeace says the appointment of a former DairyNZ scientist as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's Chief Science Advisor shows the Government is handing power to polluters.

"For years, DairyNZ has ignored science and lobbied to weaken protections for rivers, drinking water, and the climate," says Greenpeace campaigner Amanda Larsson.

"We’re facing a climate and nature crisis. The dairy industry is New Zealand’s worst environmental polluter, and science shows we need strong limits on it to protect the environment and our future. But instead of taking action to restrict intensive dairy’s pollution, Luxon is allowing industry lobbyists to sit at key decision-making tables."

Larsson warns that the appointment could further undermine action on climate change. She says DairyNZ has led efforts to promote misleading methods for measuring methane emissions from livestock - methods that downplay the need for real cuts to climate pollution from intensive dairy.

Working with Federated Farmers and Beef + Lamb, DairyNZ has pushed for a system called no additional warming to measure methane emissions. Greenpeace says this approach isn't grounded in science and is designed to justify doing less.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

"These agri-business-backed tools are based on the flawed premise that current methane emissions are an acceptable baseline. But scientists agree that methane emissions are far too high and we need to reduce them," says Larsson.

New Zealand’s independent Climate Change Commission has already rejected no additional warming. But the Government sidestepped the Commission and set up a separate panel to review methane targets using that same flawed approach. The Government is set to make a decision on the methane target this year.

"Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that heats the planet much faster than carbon dioxide," Larsson says. "And here in New Zealand, livestock methane makes up most of our climate pollution."

"At a time where the need to address the climate crisis is more urgent than ever, we cannot afford for the Luxon-led Government to elevate the voices of those who are causing the problem, because the cost will be the future of life on earth."

Greenpeace has long raised concerns about the dairy industry's influence on Luxon’s government. Last year, the group revealed that Federated Farmers had drafted freshwater policy and communications plans for the Government, which were subsequently implemented.

"We’re now seeing the consequences of polluters running the show," says Larsson.

"Weakened freshwater protections are leading to new dairy conversions, especially in Canterbury and Southland.

"The dairy industry’s pollution is already causing unswimmable rivers, unsafe drinking water, and more climate disasters. This will only get worse as the few protections we have are rolled back.

"While Luxon wages a war on nature, people across the country are stepping up to protect the places they care about. If the Government won’t stand up to polluters, the people will."

© Scoop Media