Quakers
The Religious Society of Friends - Aotearoa/New Zealand
Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri

Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa/New Zealand

John Key, Prime Minister
Parliament House
Wellington

Dear Prime Minister,

Re: Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(INDC Submission to the UNFCCC)

Quakers, as a religious body which has always had a strong commitment to peace and social justice, are concerned that New Zealand should respond effectively to its responsibilities to the future, especially to the younger members of the population. In particular, New Zealand has made commitments to control greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with latest climate change science. In the light of the upcoming submission to the UNFCCC in advance of the Paris Climate 2015 Conference, we urge the government to comply with the collective commitments made through the United Nations in the Lima conference. We point to the following principles:

1. The government has a duty to protect its people from known threats in the light of authoritative predictions and their global implications, notwithstanding inevitable uncertainties.
2. People have a collective responsibility to care for the environment on which we depend, as partners in creation.
3. New Zealand depends on global cooperation. This requires that NZ, as a wealthy nation and a member of the UN Security Council, takes leadership: a) by demonstrating strong and effective action to control emissions in order to limit temperature increase to 1.5oC. and b) by using its diplomatic capabilities to facilitate rapprochement between nations.
4. New Zealand has incurred obligations from our historic consumption of fossil fuels, from the emissions this has generated, and from the resulting economic benefits. As a nation we have also profited from pastoral industries which make a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

5. It is time for the Government to demonstrate publicly its commitment, leadership and initiative, and to engage the wider community, the public service and business in effective ways to reduce emissions to zero by mid century. We recognise that the task is immense, but the need is desperately urgent.
6. The youth of our country need faith in our future and our institutions. Our society is failing to respond effectively to the threats to the future of our civilisation reported by scientific authorities. This undermines young people’s confidence in their future.
Appended is a recent statement made by Quaker bodies worldwide on sustainability and climate change.

We look forward to receiving a copy of your submission to the UNFCCC, and to any other response to this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Thompson and Elizabeth Duke

Co-clerks, Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri

Cc Tim Groser, Minister for Climate Change Issues
Simon Bridges, Associate Minister

Facing the Challenge of Climate Change
A shared statement by Quaker groups

December 2014

As Quakers, we are called to work for the peaceable Kingdom of God on the whole Earth, in right sharing with all peoples. We recognize a moral duty to cherish Creation for future generations.

We call on our leaders to make the radical decisions needed to create a fair, sufficient and effective international climate change agreement.

As Quakers, we understand anthropogenic climate change (climate change due to human activities) to be a symptom of a greater challenge: how to live sustainably and justly on this Earth.

We recognize that the current rise of greenhouse gas emissions is leading to an unprecedented rate of increase in global average surface temperature of extreme detriment to the Earth’s ecosystems and species, including human beings.

We recognize that catastrophic global climate change is not inevitable if we choose to act urgently.

We recognize a personal and collective responsibility to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable peoples now, and all our future generations, do not suffer as a consequence of our actions. We see this as a call to conscience.

We recognize the connections between climate change and global economic injustice as well as unprecedented levels of consumption, and question assumptions of unlimited material growth on a planet with limited natural resources.

We recognize that most greenhouse gas emissions are created by fossil fuel combustion. We recognize that our increasing population continues to pursue fossil fuel-dependent economic growth. We recognize that the Earth holds more fossil fuel reserves than are safe to burn, and that the vast majority of fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground if we are to prevent the catastrophic consequences of climate change. We therefore question profoundly the continued investment in, and subsidizing of, fossil fuel extraction.

We seek to nurture a global human society that prioritizes the well-being of people over profit, and lives in right relationship with our Earth; a peaceful world with fulfilling employment, clean air and water, renewable energy, and healthy thriving communities and ecosystems.

As members of this beautiful human family, we seek meaningful commitments from our leaders and ourselves, to address climate change for our shared future, the Earth and all species, and the generations to come.

We see this Earth as a stunning gift that supports life. It is our only home. Let us care for it together.

Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW)
Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO)
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC)
Westtown Monthly Meeting, Pennsylvania, USA
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA)
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Princeton Friends Meeting, New Jersey, USA
Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC)
Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, UK
FWCC- Asia West Pacific Section
Quakers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Croton Valley Meeting, NY, USA
Northampton Friends Meeting
Cookeville Monthly Meeting
Netherlands Yearly Meeting
Newtown Monthly Meeting
New York Yearly Meeting
Memphis Friends Meeting
Quakers in Australia
EcoQuakers Ireland
Quakers in Britain
Living Witness

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