New climate campaign targets voters

A new alliance hopes to encourages voters to think about climate change. Photo / Amanda Snyder via Flickr

An unprecedented alliance of environmental organisations aims to get Kiwi voters to back serious action on climate change in the coming election.

The Climate Voter initiative has been jointly organised by Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, Oxfam, WWF, 350 Aotearoa, and Generation Zero. The idea is for voters to register at climatevoter.org.nz and signal their intention to use their vote in support of effective climate change policy.

At the launch of the initiative on Sunday in Auckland, Shortland Street actor Cameron Jones was among the first to add his support. "I'm a climate voter because I want real action on climate change and I'm prepared to use my vote to get it," he said.

Rachel Brown, the CEO of the Sustainable Business Network, has also signed. "I'm a climate voter because I want the next government to seize the opportunity to make New Zealand a leader in clean energy innovation," she said.

The group intends to challenge all political parties about where they stand on key elements of climate related policy, and will host a live public debate between the six top polling parties on September 3.

Prominent businessman Phillip Mills of Les Mills International, who also supports the campaign, added: "The urgency of dealing with climate change has become impossible for any reasonable person to deny. The whole world must take action now to resolve the problem. It is morally reprehensible for any country to shirk its responsibilities in this area."

And, he added: "It makes no economic sense. The green industry will be one of the biggest growth opportunities of our time."

Andy Kenworthy is a writer and relationship manager for Greenpeace.

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