Our Climate Declaration

Our Climate Declaration was released in 2017 to show what needs to be done, and to offer a programme of action to which every individual can contribute. It was agreed that it was necessary to go well beyond individual action to collective action by the institutions of civil society.

Our Climate Declaration was updated in 2022 to make it less wordy and to reflect the distance even our slow-moving government has travelled since we first worked with Jeanette Fitzsimons to set up our organization. We’ve also shortened the introduction and included a strong reference to the values of Te Ao Māori.

Download a copy of the Declaration to print or share.

Read the Declaration:

Our Climate Declaration text and logo

We commit to doing what is necessary to ensure a safe climate for future generations and restoring Te Taiao, aligned with the values of Te Ao Māori. We believe the changes we need to make are profound and urgent. We will:

Stop making things worse

  • Close all coal mines and end importing coal
  • End oil and gas exploration and phase out natural gas
  • End all fossil fuel subsidies
  • Change the economic paradigm of limitless growth and abandon GDP as an indicator of economic success
  • Phase down industrialized agriculture – reduce livestock numbers
  • Phase down the aviation industry

Start making things better

  • Reduce socio-economic inequality to ensure a just transition, leaving no one behind
  • Make our electricity a 100% renewable public service
  • Replace the Emissions Trading Scheme by rationing carbon to all citizens with equal quotas and a declining cap
  • Fund public and active transport and reduce the need for cars by localizing activities and services such as food production
  • Convert to electric and low-carbon transport – public and private, including rail and shipping
  • Make all buildings healthy and energy efficient
  • Plant trees in towns and cities to provide shade and biodiversity
  • Change the way we farm. Support diversification, organic and regenerative agriculture
  • Extend and protect our native forests by controlling browsers and predators
  • Prepare to welcome climate refugees

Scientists tell us there is no time to lose to preserve a livable climate for humanity. Short term, free-market policies have created and continue to exacerbate this disaster. We need to engage all actors and promote all actions at all levels urgently.