A climate roadshow making climate action an agenda item for the 2020 election will visit the Cardrona Hotel tomorrow morning (September 15). 

The Election Roadshow for Climate aims to promote a declaration of a climate emergency in New Zealand; a Citizens Assembly on climate, like ones held in France and the UK this year; and a green, sustainable, economic recovery from the pandemic.

Climate expert Dr Jim Salinger will welcome the roadshow team and speak about the challenge of climate change facing the new parliament. 

“The climate crisis is major, global and perpetual – until we do something about it,” Jim said.

Jim is a noted international climate scientist and honorary research fellow at the University of Otago whose achievements include the first detection of global warming in 1976. He has been involved in research on climate in New Zealand and the South Pacific for more than 40 years.

“Through the response to COVID-19, we have seen the power of people to act as a collective.  It’s time for climate action and climate justice,” Jim said.

The roadshow is an initiative of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion (XR) and supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency. 

The event will be held at the Cardrona Hotel. PHOTO: Wanaka App

XR spokesperson Mathias Corwin said it is time for New Zealand to declare a climate emergency. 

“Over 1400 governance agencies across 30 different countries have declared a climate emergency,” he said. “In New Zealand we have 76 per cent of our population living in jurisdictions which have declared a climate emergency. It’s time for us to declare it at a national level.”

Aotearoa Climate Emergency president and a roadshow crew member Phil Saxby said it is important that the public understands and has a say in big issues like climate change.  

“We need to involve the public in decisions about big issues that go beyond politics, and where broad consensus is needed,” he said. 

The Election Roadshow for Climate will arrive at Cardrona Hotel tomorrow after its first event at Stirling Point in Bluff.  

The Cardrona Hotel event will take place from 11:00am.