University environmentalists converge on Wellington

Fifty university students from across NZ converged on Wellington this Easter weekend for the first annual Aotearoa Students Environmental Conference. This was the largest gathering of its kind in New Zealand’s university student environmental movement. It bought together students from seven campuses from Auckland to Dunedin to discuss environmental issues affecting our communities. “By coming together in this forum our groups can be more effective in creating pro-environmental change” said Tushara Kodikara, Environmental Officer for Victoria University of Wellington Student Association.

A key outcome was the establishment of Students of Aotearoa Network for the Environment (SANE). SANE will promote and campaign for greater sustainability in universities and communities across New Zealand by providing a nation-wide forum for student networking and sharing of resources. “This is a big step in the student environmental movement” said Tushara Kodikara.

Climate change emerged as the most significant issue for students at the conference. This concern has been supported by the recent release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report documenting the real human influence on our climate system. Climate change will be a key focus of SANE’s lobbying and campaigning this year. “Climate change is a hugely important environmental issue faced by youth today – and we have the power to do something about it” said Stephanie Versteeg of Victoria University.

The two-day conference contained workshops on campaigning, lobbying, dealing with the media and Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA). There were speakers covering topics such as climate change and environmentally-focussed research. Sunday was a strategic planning session for the new network to prepare for the coming year of campaigns and lobbying. “There was a great turnout demonstrating the importance of environmental issues to young New Zealanders” said Stephanie.

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