Greenpeace - Fonterra must reduce the dairy herd

Fonterra must reduce dairy herd to reduce climate emissions, according to Greenpeace. Photo / Devyn Staines

Greenpeace says promising to reduce climate emissions but then continuing to increase cow numbers "is like promising to delete Tinder but then continuing to swipe right".

Fonterra, one of the New Zealand's biggest coal users, said this week it planned to cut back on its use of the fossil fuel as part of its goal to have net zero emissions from its global operations by 2050.

Read more here: Fonterra says it plans to cut back on coal use

The company, New Zealand's largest dairy producer, pledged to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, with a long term aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

It said in a statement the target would be achieved by making changes at its manufacturing sites and adopting new technologies.

Greenpeace campaigner Amanda Larsson said setting the targets was an important first step, but Fonterra seemed to be "in denial of the fact that taking action on climate change means reducing the dairy herd".

Greenpeace said in a statement that new figures from climate scientists showed human-induced climate change was happening faster than ever.

Larsson said Fonterra's proposed approach to reducing the bulk of its emissions was too risky.

"We urgently need a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. The only way to do that in the time we have available is to reduce the herd."