The first school strike since 2019 is being held only 3 days from now. School strikers from all across the nation are gearing up to protest the inaction from the government around climate change. ‘This strike is the first one in such a long time - which makes it even more important in ensuring a sustainable future for the youth of Aotearoa.’ Says Kelly Ngan, SS4C organiser.

The cost of inaction around climate change is everything. It’s crucial that we take steps to ensure our planet is a livable one in the future. Right now, we aren’t seeing nearly enough climate action from the government. The last campaign we held was on 26th January, where School Strike 4 Climate held a rally at parliament, where we handed over multiple demands to the government. The strike on April 9th puts pressure on the government - we want to see follow through on the demands we handed to parliament on the 26th.

‘We need to see the government walk the talk. No more empty promises, no more inaction.’ Says Rhiannon Mackie, SS4C organiser. ‘We are in a unique position to not only make changes towards a sustainable future in New Zealand, but also to set the bar for the rest of the world to follow suit.’

School Strike 4 Climate has 6 key demands we intend to strike for throughout the nation. In Wellington, our main focus is on 2 of those 6 - investing in a just transition, and honoring our relationship to our pacific neighbors.

Investing in a just transition to a sustainable future aims to encourage the government to invest in green infrastructure and vehicles. It also ensures that those previously working in unsustainable industries will be retrained for more green jobs when the change is made. Honoring our relationship to our pacific neighbors means acknowledging that they will be more affected by climate change than us here in Aotearoa, and that we should aid them in any way that we are able to.

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.

‘Day by day, climate change is becoming more urgent. The longer we wait, the harder the effects of this crisis are going to hit us. We’re at a turning point in history, and now is the time to act.’ Says Izzy Cook, SS4C Wellington organiser.

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