Students from all across Wellington will strike from school on Friday, April 9th 2021 to protest the inaction around climate change. This strike, held by School Strike 4 Climate Wellington, is focused on two key demands from the Government: a just transition into a sustainable future, and honoring our Pacific neighbours, who are more affected by the climate crisis than we are in Aotearoa.

This strike aims to put pressure on Government to follow through with the demands School Strike 4 Climate NZ delivered on January 26th, when we held our 100 Days 4 Action rally. At that time, we demanded the newly sworn in Government take action on climate change in their first 100 days. The upcoming strike will be the first since September 27th 2019, which had over 40,000 people attend in Wellington alone, and 170,000 throughout the nation. Although we didn’t hold a strike in 2020 due to COVID-19, since 2019 we’ve heard a lot of promises and not a lot of action. These empty words are unacceptable. That’s why this strike is about ensuring the Government makes progress on the demands we raised not only in January, but in the 2019 strikes as well.

The demand for a just transition is vital. So many have already suffered financially from COVID-19, whether that has been through family members losing their jobs or prices for goods becoming more expensive. It’s important that the Government prioritizes people’s economic well-being in their climate change response plans. What this means is also that those working in unsustainable industries will be supported and retrained for an environmentally responsible economy. Additionally, we believe that the COVID-19 response spending needs to be done with a green future in mind.

“Having a just and efficient transition is a crucial step for New Zealand’s fight against climate change.” - Seren Lewis, SS4C organiser.

Climate change ties into climate justice. Climate justice is the idea that climate change has more of an impact on historically marginalized communities, as well as underprivileged nations and those living closer to the global equator. Our neighbours in the Pacific islands are in greater need of help during this climate crisis than we are in Aotearoa, so as a country we should be taking action faster domestically, and prioritising support to frontline communities on an international scale. We need to ensure we start reducing our emissions - now. School Strike 4 Climate hasn’t forgotten about the Government’s promise to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 0% by 2050, as passed in the zero carbon act in 2019. So far, we have not seen nearly enough action from our Government.

‘The inaction around climate change isn’t good enough. The climate crisis continues, and in Aotearoa we are at a unique position where we can make changes towards a sustainable future,’ says Izzy Cook, SS4C Wellington organiser. ‘What we do or do not do will affect everyone down the track.’

In Wellington, participants will meet at Civic Square at 11am. Our march will arrive at Parliament at 12pm. There will be speeches and performances, as well as the handover of our demands to Government. This is an intergenerational strike, and all students and members of the public are welcome and strongly encouraged to attend. Organisers ask that participants wear masks.

"The empty promises that our Government makes now are directly impacting the lives of our frontlines communities, of today's youth, and of generations to come. We ask you to join us in demanding real action from our Government, not five or ten years down the line, but now. The sea levels may be rising, but so are we." - Rhiannon Mackie, SS4C organiser.

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