The People’s Climate Rally<\/a> is being organised by a coalition of groups including Climate Justice Taranaki, Frack Free, Oil Free Wellington, Greenpeace New Zealand and 350 Aotearoa.<\/p>\nThe two-day event, on March 22 and 23, will include peaceful protest, workshops, and entertainment for people of all ages that promotes a world without fossil fuels in order to curb the looming climate catastrophe.<\/p>\n
The target is the NZ Petroleum Conference, held over the same time in New Plymouth, which will see hundreds of delegates from oil and gas companies meet to discuss oil exploration opportunities in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Sponsored by government agency NZPAM, the annual conference is\u00a0 also attended by domestic decision makers including the Minister of Energy and Resources, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Taranaki Regional Council, and NIWA.<\/p>\n
Previously held in Auckland and Wellington, the petroleum conference has been met by mass peaceful protest since 2012. This has included hikoi and marches of more than 5,000 people. This year, a blockade outside Auckland\u2019s SkyCity delayed the start of the conference by several hours.<\/p>\n
The conference has now been moved to New Plymouth for 2017. Taranaki has been the centre of the New Zealand oil industry for 100 years.<\/p>\n
Spokesperson for Climate Justice Taranaki, Emily Bailey, says\u00a0 the oil industry and the Government has continued to exploit oil and gas and ignore local community concerns about its environmental and human costs. <\/p>\n
“The oil and gas industry has been making a retreat this year, pulling out of permits and cutting investments,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow they’re moving from Auckland to hold their annual conference in what can only be seen as a retreat to ‘safe territory’, but we are stepping things up to tell them it’s time to stop the drilling and ensure a future without runaway climate change.\u201d <\/p>\n
New Zealand needs a rapid investment in a just transition away from these dirty fuels and into climate-friendly jobs, Bailey says.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 coalition will be developing The People\u2019s Climate Rally over the coming weeks. Kicking off just days after Taranaki music festival, WOMAD, the group is encouraging festival goers to stay on afterwards to take part in the protest.<\/p>\n
350 Aotearoa spokesperson, Niamh O’flynn, says the petroleum conference \u201cflies in the face\u201d of what is right for people and the planet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese companies and our Government are acting like drilling for more oil and gas has no consequences. We know that they do, and it’s climate change,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen our farmers are struggling through drought, our snowfields are without snow, and our sea-levels are rising, it’s our responsibility to stand-up to the Government and the fossil fuel industry that are ignoring reality and wilfully wrecking our climate.”<\/p>\n