Our Climate Declaration – Politician’s Legacy, Citizen Action
Our Climate Declaration is a national group helping people transform their local communities to meet the climate crisis. The group helps raise public awareness of the need for local communities to take rapid, effective action on the climate crisis and resource depletion.
The group continues in the footsteps of its political founder, the late Jeanette Fitzsimons, well known Green Party co-leader from 1995 to 2009. Fitzsimons put together the citizen-based declaration: a plan of actions that people can promote in their local communities, to foster community sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change.
“We want to stop the ‘bad’ stuff – such as fossil fuel production – and bring on the ‘good’ stuff: reshaping our cities to protect nature and biodiversity,” says Torfrida Wainwright, a Christchurch contact person for the organisation.
“We run lots and lots of webinars, every 4 or 5 weeks, on some aspect of degrowth or circular economy or waste reduction. They’re not aimed at the individual level, it’s at the social level or organisational level,” she says. “We’re promoting a pathway to more sustainable and equitable living.”
A focus and key concern is for a simpler way of living that is not dependent on the concept of endless economic growth, waste production, and resource use that outstrips planetary boundaries.
“Most of it is about connecting with others; there’s such a lot we can do. The key ideas are that we need to live more simply, without waste. It’s really, really obvious now that unless Western countries use much less – much less energy and petrol, and produce much less emissions – there’ll be nothing left for the rest of the world to survive and have a decent life.”
Changes to our lifestyle are necessary, says Torfrida, and the more we can prepare for that reality, the better.
The group draws on the wisdom and expertise of its members – some of whom are retired academics and journalists – to promote an ‘economy of enough’ and to help transform Kiwi lifestyles in environmentally constructive ways. Many of the members are experienced educators or activists, who are happy to motivate and share their knowledge and learnings.
Members use a variety of ways to connect with and motivate their local communities. Presently, one person is promoting tiny forests (up to 30 square metres) in urban environments; another is collaborating with their local council to reduce energy wastage.
Our Climate Declaration produces a regular newsletter and features a range of resources on its website and Facebook page, for people to find their pathway to climate-related action.
(Oct 2023)
