The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.

“We are running out of time and I am running out of patience with the pace of change,” says co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw.

“As part of the Government, the Greens have done more in the last five years to prevent the climate crisis from getting any worse, than any government in the last thirty years.

“We published New Zealand’s first ever plan to cut climate pollution in every part of Aotearoa. We also laid out plans to invest $4.5 billion over the next three years building the future our children deserve. But the pace of change is still far too slow.

“I joined the School Strike for Climate today, not just as a Minister, or co-leader - but as someone who wants much more - and much faster - action to protect the climate.

“Every day I show up for work I push for that change. But the reality is that we don’t always get the action we need.

“The only way we can change this is with a strong and loud voice outside Parliament, and more Green MPs in Parliament and more Green Ministers in the next Government.

“The decisions that will be made in the next term of Parliament will have a huge impact on climate action over the next twenty years. And the School Strike’s message couldn’t be clearer: we need to act; and we need to act right now.

“We know the clock is ticking. One of my top priorities is to get an outcome from He Waka Eke Noa that results in rapid cuts to agriculture emissions.

“Teanau Tuiono, as our agriculture spokesperson, is also pushing the government to phase out synthetic fertiliser, ban PKE as feedstock, ban winter grazing, and support regenerative farming.

“Julie Anne Genter, as our transport spokesperson, is pushing for free public transport and more investment in walking and cycling. We are fully on board with half price fares, but want the Government to finish the job.

“We also need to immediately end the search for new fossil fuels. The Labour Government should back Eugenie Sage’s member’s bill and uphold the promise of banning new mines on conservation land, including coal mines.

“And it should back Julie Anne’s call to amend the Crown Minerals Act to end fossil fuel extraction. It’s simple: we have to keep fossil fuels in the ground, where they belong.

“The Greens are pushing every single day for bold action on climate change that puts people first. We will only succeed if we protect the climate in a way that also ensures everyone has a warm, affordable home fit for the future and enough to live a good life

“With more Green MPs we can push the Government to take climate action that puts whānau, tūpuna whenua, and communities first,” says James Shaw.

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