With the climate crisis escalating at an alarming pace, the Intergenerational Climate Ambassadors rally not only the public but also candidates vying for office to recognise the 2023 New Zealand General Election as a pivotal opportunity for urgent climate action, safeguarding the well-being of current and future generations. This will be the Climate Election.

"Recent extreme events tell us we must act now – climate action will never be cheaper than it is today!" declares Prof. James Renwick, an Intergenerational Climate Ambassador and esteemed climate scientist. The evidence is irrefutable: the planet is in distress, and the time for meaningful action is immediate. The recent impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle serve as a stark reminder of the repercussions if we neglect the climate emergency.

"This is our SOS election," says actress Lucy Lawless, another Intergenerational Climate Ambassador who strongly backs the call to action. “Cyclone Gabrielle was a nasty taste of what’s to come. In prioritizing the climate emergency, know that the cost of change is far less than the cost of doing nothing”.

In an impassioned plea, fellow Ambassador and Director of Thriving World, Louise Aitken asserts, "As our earth burns, it is obvious that we are at a turning point for humanity; for our own existence. If we act now, we can be the ancestors that our mokopuna and their mokopuna deserve." The dire climate events of 2023, both locally in Aotearoa and globally, stand as a testament to the urgent need for intervention, and thus the impetus for this election to have climate as its main focus.

Florence Van Dyke, co-founder of Chia Sisters and a fellow Ambassador, says “The climate devastation in Aotearoa and globally in 2023 is proof we are at an environmental tipping point. The time to act is now. Every day that we delay will cause greater devastation to our home, planet Earth, and to our most vulnerable communities in Aotearoa”.

Chloe Van Dyke, also co-founder of Chia Sisters and an Ambassador makes it clear that “As humans, we have little capacity for thinking long term, for future generations. We need to recognise this flaw in our evolutionary mindset, and then make a rational decision as to whether we care enough to act differently now. That is the decision that needs to be made by each of us at the coming election.”

Facing the reality, Ambassador and Nelson City Councillor Rachel Sanson says, "We are staring down the barrel of global boiling - and a life for future generations, our Pacific whānau, and frontline communities around the world, that is catastrophic." Central and local government leaders, along with representatives from the public and private sectors, must transcend partisan boundaries and take resolute strides toward a just transition.

The Ambassadors highlight the far-reaching implications of this election: "Climate issues have risen rapidly in public understanding, the decisions we make now will impact communities for thousands of years." The pivotal nature of this election is underscored by the projection that children born this year will encounter three to four times as many extreme climate events in their lifetimes than older voters, notes Prof. Bronwyn Hayward, an Ambassador and prominent New Zealand political scientist.

"With four record-breaking land and ocean heatwaves since 2018, Zealandia is steaming, and the rest of planet earth is reeling from heatwaves and wildfires," says long-standing climate scientist Dr. Jim Salinger, which emphasises the critical need for an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an unswerving commitment to a climate-focused election.

In the face of adversity, Intergenerational Climate Ambassador and founder of School Strike 4 Climate NZ, Sophie Handford discerns a rare opening, asserting, "We happen to be alive within the available window of time to safeguard papatūānuku for future generations, and catalyse a thriving and climate-just world." The onus rests on our leaders to embrace this election as a Climate Election, steering us toward a future we’ll feel free to pass on to future generations.

The Intergenerational Climate Ambassadors implore all candidates to make climate action a central theme of their campaigns and to champion policies that prioritise a low-emissions future. Simultaneously, they urge the public to exercise their voices and votes in support of those who genuinely commit to urgent climate action. United, we can forge a world that is not only habitable for the current generation but also preserves the promise of flourishing for generations to come.

“This is an election for our children and grandchildren – their lives and future flourishing may depend on our votes this year,” says Bronwyn Hayward

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