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And we all signed on…campaign reaches 50,000
And we all signed on…campaign reaches 50,000
Over 50,000 New Zealanders have joined the Greenpeace Sign On campaign, which aims to generate an unprecedented level of support for John Key to sign on to a 40 per cent by 2020 emission reduction target at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December.
“Copenhagen is the most important meeting of our time, so it’s really heartening to see how many Kiwis want New Zealand to do the right thing,” said Greenpeace Executive Director Bunny McDiarmid.
“50,000 people in the space of two weeks have attached themselves to this campaign; surely this is evidence that this is not about persuasion, it’s just about giving Kiwis a voice to express their concern over climate change,” said Sign On Ambassador Robyn Malcolm.
“Obviously there was already a groundswell; what this campaign is doing is focusing that groundswell in order to send a strong message to the government.”
The Sign On campaign was launched less than two weeks ago at Sign On ambassador Lucy Lawless’ house. See here for a video of the launch: http://www.signon.org.nz/videos/sign-on-videos.
Lawless is one of a wide range of high-profile New Zealanders backing the campaign. Others include Rhys Darby, Robyn Malcolm, chef Peter Gordon, Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall and actress Keisha Castle-Hughes.
McDiarmid said she hoped the Government would take the growing public mandate created by the Sign On campaign into account in its public consultation process over a target, which it announced this week.
“It’s vital that the consultation process doesn’t just canvass big business, but also addresses the concerns of all New Zealanders, most of whom want to see strong action on climate change and for New Zealand to do its bit on the world stage.”
“It’s great to know that so many people have been made aware of this campaign in such a short space of time,” says Ambassador Harry McNaughton (Shortland Street’s Gerald Tippett). “People are hearing this important message and are ready to do something about it.”
ENDS
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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