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.

Our Climate Declaration was updated again in 2025 to expand our focus from climate to broader issues such as biodiversity.

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 restore te taiao and ensure a safe earth for future generations. We believe the changes we need to make are profound and urgent.

We will begin by:

  • Acknowledging that we live on a finite planet. The damage already caused to the climate, biodiversity, fresh water and the ocean puts the future of humankind at risk.
  • Abandoning the economic paradigm of limitless growth and replacing GDP with an indicator of social wellbeing for all.
  • Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by rationing carbon to all citizens with equal quotas and a declining cap, and then repealing the ETS.

This means we must:

  • Close all coal mines, stop importing coal and phase out natural gas.
  • Change the way we farm. Support diversification, organic and regenerative agriculture.
  • Fund electrified public and active transport
  • Extend and protect native forests
  • Plant trees in towns and cities for shade and biodiversity
  • Make electricity a 100% renewable public service
  • Reduce socio-economic inequality
  • Prepare to welcome climate refugees

Short term, free market policies have allowed us to overshoot climate boundaries. We need to engage all actors at all levels because science shows us there is no time to lose.