Media release - 17 December, 2009, Wellington
For immediate release

Climate activists disrupt New Zealand Carbon Exchange meeting in solidarity with Copenhagen protests

This morning Climate activists are disrupting a carbon exchange meeting in downtown Wellington held at the Energy Market Services Building on the Terrace. The protesters are asking for real solutions to dangerous climate change, not false market-based solutions.

Carbon trading, also known as Cap and Trade, allows wealthy, industrialized countries and companies to keep polluting at the same rates by trading carbon credits amongst themselves. This allows business to continue as usual and encourages the disadvantaged and poor to sell their livelihoods for the gain of the rich.

In Copenhagen today, about 100 000 protestors took a stand against government inaction and corporate profiteering, while 300 NGO delegates walked out of the conference as part of the Climate Justice Now campaign.

Climate Progress Response has stated that, “Our climate is not your business. We need real solutions to climate change, not market-based solutions that will only encourage more carbon growth.”

New Zealand Carbon Exchange (NZCX) aims to bring New Zealand into global climate trading markets, by acting as a climate broker domestically and internationally, further spreading the damage caused by this system.

ENDS

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