Category: Climate Change

‘Climate Commons’ is not just a film – it’s a powerful call to action.

How can we act locally to address the crisis and create a sustainable future? The film presents fascinating stories about climate action, strategies for adaptation and mitigation in Aotearoa. A determined mother documents these inspiring tales, igniting practical climate action and driving policy change. Her journey offers intriguing insights into addressing the climate crisis, revealing a path towards a sustainable future.

The Albert-Eden Climate Action Plan is available to read and download on the Auckland Council website. Thank you to all who contributed to helping decide on the actions that will build resilience against climate change.

20 May to 20 June 2022

The Government’s Emission Reduction Plan comes out in May 2022 – the first opportunity we’ve had to see and comment on the targets for carbon emission reduction, in three steps to 2035.

This is a crucial stage in Aotearoa’s commitment to play its part in keeping the temperature rise to 1.5C degrees. But there is a real risk that MPs will be distracted by other urgent business, and underestimate the importance of urgent, decisive action now. If we do not seize this opportunity, we and future generations will have to live with the consequences. Please act now, in this old-fashioned but highly effective way, to ensure that our MPs get the message loud and clear, and feel supported to act urgently for a better future.

The National Campaign for Emission Reduction is reaching out to all Climate Aware people in Aotearoa, and asking you to send Postcards of Support to your local MP, Ministers and List MPs during the period from 20th May to 20th June.

Postcards will be seen as representing a greater level of effort than just signing a petition – they will load up the MPs’ in-trays with support, and the best ones will go up on their walls!

The MPs in all political parties need to support the Emission Reduction Plan, and to collaborate and move with urgency to meet the targets for our country to play its part in the global effort to keep Planet Earth liveable.

It’s hard to focus on climate change issues with the consuming dominance of Covid news but really it is so essential to do so now. Please consider supporting the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) here.

The closing date/time for submissions on the Climate Action is this Friday March 28, presumably midnight. The Government Climate Change Commission (CCC) submission form is very simple (much easier than the Auckland Council one), people can either fill in some/all of the spaces under any one or all of the six headings as following:

1. The Pace of Change
2. Future Generations
3. Our Contribution
4. Role and Type of Forest
5. Policy Priorities to Reduce Emissions
6. Technology and Behaviour Change

Here is a template from the Greens – if you would like some ideas. Or you could write a simple general submission and send it directly to Dr Rod Carr, Chair of the CCC.

Because the government submission form has a special designation of “Young Person” a member of our group has sent in her 7 year old granddaughter’s thoughts (all her own she assures us ;>) on what we need to do to help the climate: 

• Stop creating rubbish   (Last year she went on a school trip to the city rubbish dump & it affected her greatly!)
• No more cars/buses/trucks that use petrol – change to electric
• Use solar and wind power for factories
• Don’t cut down trees – plant more trees
• Make toys for kids out of re-usable materials, like wood
• Use paper cups and straws and wooden spoons at parties, not plastic (and no balloons, because they are plastic and when you let them go, the fish eat them and they die)

Even if all you do is to ask your children/grandchildren their thoughts, and just put only those into the form, you will be taking some action on behalf of the planet in this way. Please do something – it takes such a tiny amount of time.

Yesterday the Auckland Council unanimously agreed to declare a climate emergency, joining other cities in New Zealand and around the world in doing so. Please read on here.