Kia ora, and happy Tuesday!
In the leadup to the Emissions Reduction Plan, all eyes are on how the government will support the agriculture industry to transition to a sustainable food future. The harsh reality is that agriculture is responsible for 48% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet it’s not adequately covered in the Emissions Reduction Plan.
The Emissions Reduction Plan will be published in May, so as a country, we have the chance to influence key decisions being made in the next couple of months. We can advocate for bolder solutions in agriculture, and ensure a just transition for our farmers, many of whom are already focussing on regenerative practices.
The most clicked link from last week’s issue was the free public transport for everyone petition. It’s now at 12.5k signatures!
Also, a small housekeeping item - thanks to a couple of astute readers, we’ve learnt that Gmail sometimes filters our newsletters into the Promotions category rather than Updates or Primary. You can make sure that it goes to the category you want by setting up a filter for emails that come from climateclubnz@substack.com.
What can you do today?
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Double down on halving the herd
We know that many of our farmers are working hard to do what’s best for our environment and the animals. However, our current systems are incentivising unsustainable practices, and not supporting farmers to lower emissions.
Action: Sign the petition to ensure we curb agricultural emissionsOn the topic of intensive dairying, there’s momentum gaining behind the ongoing campaign to reduce our dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser (which has devastating impacts on our emissions, rivers, and drinking water).
Action: Sign the petition to halve the herd for a healthier farming future
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Get legal
Lawyers for Climate Action (LCANZI) are suing the Government and Climate Change Commission (CCC) for inaccuracies in their recommendations for climate action, which are not enough to keep us to 1.5 degrees. The case is currently going through the High Court, and could enforce a faster and fairer climate response from the government.
Action: Amplify their message by emailing or sending a postcard to an MP
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Netflix & chill the planet
Watch Milked (2022), a 1.5 hour documentary released this week. It explores the impact of the dairy industry not only on the environment, but on our farmers, our health, and the extractive system that we all find ourselves in - and the solutions available to us.
Action: Watch the full version on YouTube here. (Trigger warning: animal cruelty; feel free to just watch the first 45 minutes for the informative stuff)
In case you missed it!
🎤 The Auckland Climate Action Targeted Rate consultation has closed, but the Christchurch one is still open! Have your say on free public transport and a climate action levy with this quick submission guide. You don’t have to live in Christchurch to submit.
Wins!
🚲 Late last year, activists from across a range of organisations campaigned for Paneke Pōneke, a network of bike lanes, during the Let’s Get Wellington Moving consultation. A few weeks ago, the Wellington Council approved a comprehensive 166 kilometres of connected cycleways for Pōneke. This will be a real game-changer for Wellington, helping our capital’s transition to a low carbon city with safe, accessible routes for all.
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this beautiful directory of New Zealand climate solutions (you can download it as a PDF) that just got released, bringing together the many different organisations across sectors working together to bring about transformative change. Where can you get involved? Can you follow some of these organisations, amplify their mahi?
See you next week,
Dhanya, Emily, and Jenny from the Climate Club
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