24 June 2019

Climate activists set up waiting rooms outside Kiwibank branches

Today climate action groups in Dunedin and Wellington will set up waiting rooms outside Kiwibank branches, to demonstrate that the climate can’t keep waiting for Kiwibank to release a fossil free policy that rules out investments or lending to coal, oil, and gas companies. Since October, Kiwibank has been telling its customers that it will release a fossil free policy.

350 Dunedin and 350 Wellington will set up waiting rooms with chairs, tables, magazines, and clocks, and park up outside Kiwibank branches to send a message that the climate can’t wait for further delay, and the clock is ticking for Kiwibank to become the first bank in Aotearoa to cut all corporate ties from the fossil fuel industry. The climate groups will also enter the banks to engage with Kiwibank tellers about the fossil free policy that Kiwibank claims to have ready but has stalled announcing.

350 Aotearoa spokesperson Erica Finnie said, “For months Kiwibank has been promising customers it has a fossil free policy in the works. During this time, the IPCC released a report that warned of the devastating impacts that 2 degrees of warming could have on our planet: more extreme weather, millions of people displaced, and severe threats of extinction. If we are to have any chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C, we need to end the age of fossil fuels by cutting off their social licence and their money.”

“New Zealanders need a bank we can trust to keep our money out of coal, oil and gas. Kiwibank claims to have a fossil free policy in the works, so we’re calling on them to pick up the pace, and show climate leadership by being the first bank in Aotearoa that guarantees it will never invest in or lend to fossil fuels.”

The actions today will be followed by waiting rooms set up outside Kiwibank branches across Aotearoa for the rest of the week. The events are coordinated by 350 Aotearoa, as part of their Fossil Free Banks campaign, calling for banks to go “Fossil Free’ by cutting their ties with the fossil fuel industry.

Monday 24th June

350 Dunedin will set up outside Kiwibank 310 Moray Place, Dunedin at 12pm.

350 Wellington will set up outside Kiwibank 2 Manners St, Te Aro, Wellington at 12.30pm.

Tuesday 25th June

350 Auckland will set up outside Kiwibank Headquarters on Victoria Street, Auckland at 12pm.

Wednesday 26th June
Fossil Free Aoraki will set up outside Kiwibank on corner of Lichfield Street and Colombo Street, Christchurch at 12pm.

Friday 28th June

350 Nelson Tasman will set up a waiting room outside Kiwibank 209 Hardy Street, Nelson at 12pm.

ENDS.

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