Concert For Greenpeace Climate Campaign

Concert For Greenpeace Climate Campaign

Auckland December 5 2009 – Greenpeace’s Sign On climate campaign will today culminate in a march and free public concert in Auckland featuring top New Zealand bands and Sign On ambassadors performing.

Planet A March and Concert for the Climate is aimed at allowing New Zealanders to show their support of a strong outcome at the Copenhagen climate conference, which starts on Monday. The event will kick off with a march from Albert Park, up Queen Street to Myers Park, where the concert will be held.

Headline acts for the concert include Opshop, Midnight Youth, Don McGlashan and the Sami Sisters. Sign On Ambassador Rhys Darby will MC the event, and other ambassadors such as Lucy Lawless and Robyn Malcolm will also perform. There’ll also be a giant haka involving the crowd, to challenge the delegation to Copenhagen.

In what's believed to be a first for New Zealand, the concert will be streamed live on the internet at ziln.co.nz.

Lucy Lawless: “It's going to be a wicked event. Everyone who’s involved takes climate change very seriously and we want our Prime Minister to know that the people of New Zealand demand that he commits to a 40% 2020 emissions reduction target. There is no Planet B so the health of Planet A, is fundamental to our future and economy. I urge everΌone to come on down on December 5th and get hoῴ on this issue.

Don McGlashan: “New Zealand is a well-off, enlightened, stable country that prides itself on the quality of its environment. We should be a world leader in the fight to recognise the importance of climate change. Copenhagen is our Government's big chance to step up to that challenge. Let's make some noise and encourage them.”

Opshop’s Jason Kerrison: “We can’t afford to stick our heads in the sand thinking some bigger country, some other generation, some other future will work it out. It's up to us to help the pendulum begin to swing the other way. So hear our collective message John Key, and take it to the rest of the world. Be bold. Lead. The time is now,ᾠthe generation is o῵rs."
Rhys Darby: "Returning home to New Zealand to live this year was an easy decision to make, but lately I've been wondering if we're losing our grip on the environmental stage. Here's our chance to voice it up and rock it out. I'm hosting this event so if you're not into music or actors, I'll make you laugh with my robot impressions."

The Sign On campaign, launched in May and supported by over 180,000 Kiwis, is calling on the New Zealand Government to commit to the 40% by 2020 emission reduction target. See www.signon.org.nz

A public march will be held simultaneously in Wellington (see www.signon.org.nz/planet-a)

WHAT: Planet A – March and Concert for the Climate (Auckland) and Planet A Walk for the Climate (Wellington)
WHEN: December 5, 2009. 1pm – 6:30pm (Auckland) and 1pm (Wellington)
WHERE: Auckland - March up Queen Street kicks off at the fountain in Albert Park at 1pm. Concert in Myers Park from 2:30-6:30pm.
Wellington – March goes from Civic Square to Parliament, starts at 1pm.
WHO: Opshop, Midnight Youth, Don McGlashan, Sami Sisters, MC’d by Rhys Darby. Special performances by Sign On ambassadors, including Lucy Lawless and Robyn Malcolm.

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