Greenpeace activists have scaled Fonterra’s Te Rapa Dairy Factory, unfurling a 160 square metre banner reading ‘Fonterra’s methane cooks the climate.’
Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn says, “Fonterra is Aotearoa’s worst climate polluter. They are cooking the climate with superheating methane gas, produced by the oversized dairy herd, and we’re here to call on them to end their climate destruction.”
“We have the chance to pull the climate emergency brake by cutting methane emissions now. If the world reduces cow numbers, we can slow down climate change and prevent the worst climate catastrophes,” says Deighton-O’Flynn.
“As the world’s biggest exporter of dairy products, New Zealand has a huge role to play in this story. That requires us to demand better from our biggest dairy company, Fonterra.”
In August, Fonterra was named New Zealand’s worst climate polluter for the fourth year running, worse than fossil fuel companies such as Z Energy and BP. The dairy co-operative has also been ranked the sixth worst polluting livestock company in the world by methane emissions.
“It is not too late to take meaningful action on climate change. New Zealand’s outsized, superheating dairy herd is only sustained through the excessive use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and palm kernel,” says Deighton-O’Flynn.
“Fonterra could cut methane emissions by ending its reliance on palm kernel, phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and reducing herd sizes.
“Supporting farmers to shift to more plant-based and ecological farming practices is entirely within Fonterra’s control – and their overseas customers are demanding it. Unless they act to cut their methane emissions, Fonterra will be left behind as more and more people expect meaningful action on climate change.”
The protest comes just one week after Greenpeace announced it is suing Fonterra for misleading consumers with false claims on butter packaging. Greenpeace has also launched a petition calling on Fonterra to end their use of palm kernel which now has more than 8,000 signatures.
Call on Fonterra to end the use of rainforest destroying palm kernel on its farms by banning palm kernel in the Farmers’ Terms of Supply.
Sign the petition
