Young Kiwis challenge leaders on climate change inaction

Over 700 young people held a flash mob outside Britomart yesterday to launch a new campaign for climate change solutions, in the wake of New Zealand being named as one of the worst players at the UN climate negotiations in Doha.

Youth organiser Lance Cash said the 100% Possible campaign is borne out of the frustration of many young New Zealanders about political inaction on climate change in New Zealand.

"Moving New Zealand beyond fossil fuels is 100% possible, and yet our leaders continue to ignore the abundance of solutions available at our fingertips".

100% Possible is a collaborative campaign between Generation Zero, 350 Aotearoa and WWF calling for political and community action to move New Zealand beyond fossil fuels.

The campaign launch and flash mob were part of youth-run climate change conference Power Shift NZ-Pacific, which brought together over 700 young people from across New Zealand and the Pacific in Auckland to address solutions to climate change.

The actions come after New Zealand was recognised as one of the nations doing the most to block progress at the United Nations climate change negotiations that finished today in Doha, Qatar.

New Zealand was, alongside the United States, awarded the satirical 'Colossal Fossil' award by the Climate Action Network for being the most counterproductive to progress.

Aaron Packard, Pacific coordinator for 350 Aotearoa, said:

"Pacific Islands are already at the forefront of the climate change, threatened by rising sea level, desalination and extreme weather. New Zealand needs to stand with our Pacific neighbours by acting responsibly on the global stage and getting our own house in order."

"Its shameful that a nation that prides itself on innovation, fairness and moral leadership would act so irresponsibly on the international stage," said Mr Cash.

"My leaders have been discussing how to address climate change my entire life, and yet New Zealand still has no comprehensive plan to move beyond fossil fuels.

"As well as becoming the new bad boy of the global negotiations, the Government's recent gutting of the Emissions Trading Scheme means that there's essentially no action going on at home either.

"The thing that's so hard to understand about all this is that New Zealand has an abundance of opportunities to get moving beyond fossil fuels. We need our leaders to step up and take responsible action."

ENDS

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