NSW Farmers Association, Media Release, 3 November 2021

NSW Farmers President James Jackson says a “key” climate promise from Glasgow is more about slogans than science.

Mr Jackson welcomed Australia’s decision not to sign up for a 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions, which would have had disastrous consequences for agriculture without delivering any positive action on climate change.

“Farmers want a seat at the table, and instead we’re seeing world leaders put us on the menu,” Mr Jackson said.

“The critical role of agriculture in supporting human life is being lost in the hot air surrounding the climate debate, and some very clever people have managed to twist the facts and make farmers the bad guys on carbon emissions.

“The fact of the matter is that without a target agriculture has already reduced emissions by more than 30 per cent and we are the only sector actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

Mr Jackson said he was very concerned that agriculture was still being targeted by Net Zero policies, rather than the big emitters.

“Agriculture is part of the climate solution, we are removing millions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere and turning it into food, we are certainly not the problem that some want to portray us as,” Mr Jackson said.

“Our members are among those most exposed to the impacts of climate variability, so we of course want to see actions to reduce emissions, but they need to be based in science, not slogans.”