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International NGOs: Climate change is bigger than politics
Tuesday 08 August 2017
International NGOs: Climate change is bigger than politics
Youth organisation
Generation Zero is celebrating the call by a coalition of
International NGOs for all political parties to come
together after the election and support a Zero Carbon Act.
On Saturday, in a letter addressed to members of parliament,
the coalition outlined the urgent need for climate
legislation.
The letter, signed by 14
international development agencies, including Oxfam NZ,
Engineers without borders NZ, UNICEF, World Vision,
Tearfund, and Amnesty International, highlighted New
Zealand’s responsibility to act; “For the sake of
[these] vulnerable women, men and children, we – as a
well-resourced developed nation – have a responsibility to
act in a bold and meaningful manner.”
It calls
for the next parliament to support a Zero Carbon Act with
binding targets, measures and accountabilities to reduce
NZ’s domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero
by 2050 and transparently deliver on New Zealand’s
international climate change obligations.
Generation Zero launched a detailed
blueprint for the Zero Carbon Act in April, alongside a
petition to the next New Zealand
Parliament.
“Climate change is happening now, it
is affecting all of us – our Pacific neighbours, people
living in poverty, our communities and our businesses here
in New Zealand,” said Lisa McLaren, national convenor for
the Zero Carbon Act campaign.
“The Zero Carbon
Act aims to secure a positive future for our children –
protecting our communities, businesses and people across the
globe.”
“Young people in particular
overwhelmingly back stronger action, as we’ve seen with
support from youth across the political spectrum. We are the
ones who will live with the consequences of what we do about
climate change today - our elected representatives need to
listen to them and come together to pass the Zero Carbon
Act,” said Miss McLaren.
Following the UK’s
groundbreaking Climate Change Act, climate legislation have
been introduced across a range of countries, including
Denmark, Finland, Mexico and Ireland as well as states and
provinces in the US, Canada and Australia.
The Zero
Carbon Act campaign is already backed by Forest & Bird,
Oxfam New Zealand, WWF-New Zealand, ActionStation and
others. Together the groups are running petitions which will be delivered to the
next Parliament after the election.
What you can do
Sign the petition - http://www.zerocarbonact.nz/signon/
Volunteer with Generation Zero - http://www.generationzero.org/zca_volunteer
Donate to the campaign - https://generationzero.nationbuilder.com/donate_zero_carbon_act
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