Support the campaign to end free emissions credits for big polluters

Under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), businesses have to buy carbon credits that allow them to produce greenhouse gases, which is meant to motivate them to reduce their emissions.

But certain businesses get free carbon credits. They’re businesses deemed to be ‘Emissions Intensive and Trade Exposed’ (that they have significant emissions, but would face a competitive disadvantage if they had to pay for their emissions while similar industries in other countries wouldn’t). Also known as preventing ’emissions leakage’.

In 2021, free carbon credits made up 6.6 million of a total 33 million units in the emissions cap (20% of credits surrendered by polluters that year were given to them by the government for free).

Just four businesses received 75% of these free credits:

  • NZ Steel (owned by Bluescope)
  • Ballance – a fertiliser company
  • Methanex – a fossil fuel company exporting methanol, and
  • NZ Aluminium Smelters (owned by Rio Tinto) – making aluminium for export.

These four businesses are responsible for 7.45% of NZ’s gross emissions.

Even if agriculture was to enter the ETS from 2025, it would also receive free credits to cover 95% of its emissions.

That’s why a coalition of environment groups (including Common Grace Aotearoa, Parents for Climate Aotearoa and Oxfam Aotearoa) is supporting a campaign to end carbon credits.

Learn more about the End Free Credits campaign.

Sign the petition on Action Station.

No protest on Friday 29 March

Friday 29 March is Good Friday, so instead of protesting against Fonterror at Midland Park we will be chowing down on hot cross buns with our respective families.

Make a submission against the Fast-track Approvals Bill – more submission guides added (13/4/24)

The New Zealand Government has introduced a Fast-Track Approvals Bill in Parliament, which threatens to undermine the vital process of public consultation on large-scale infrastructure projects and resource consents.

The Bill grants unchecked authority to a select group of Ministers, while limiting input from experts, Tangata Whenua, advocacy organisations, and the public.

It would strip away the mandate for adequate public consultation on projects such as:

  • intensive barns
  • winter grazing
  • fish farms
  • marine developments and
  • dairy intensification.

Learn more about the bill on the Greenpeace website.

Please consider making a submission to fight this bill. Submissions close on Friday 19 April.

If you missed Forest and Bird’s submission Zoom, don’t worry. You can use:

Update on 5 April Climate Strikes

Here are the details for the climate strike in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

Time: 12 noon

Venue: Meet at Te Ngākau Civic Square, marching to Parliament at 12.30pm.

With so much at stake, it’s never been more important for us to stand united for climate justice and social justice. This is an intergenerational strike.

Find out the demands, on the SS4CNZ website.

Read the media release.

Bring your placards, and join us at 12 noon at Civic Square!!  📢

See details on the SS4C Pōneke Facebook event.

Climate strikes all over New Zealand

Check the SS4C NZ Facebook events page for details of climate strikes elsewhere in New Zealand.

It’s all go with Fridays for Future on Tuesdays

The day David Parker (ex-Minister of the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries and more) joined our protest
On Waitangi Day we joined the Hikoi for Solidarity with Tangata Whenua
Last Tuesday, Green MPs Lan Pham and Steve Abel joined us outside Parliament

And today (23 Feb) we are also protesting at Midland Park outside the Fonterror office. Come and join us!

Join the Waitangi Day Solidarity Hikoi on 6 Feb

On Waitangi Day there will be no FFF protest at Parliament.
Instead, we will be joining the Waitangi Solidarity Hikoi.

This event is organised by the Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition. Tangata Tiriti are invited to stand in solidarity with Tangata Whenua and show that we will work to stop any rolling back of Māori rights and progress the Tangata Whenua.

Starts at Pukeahu National War Memorial at 10.30am, walking about 1.5 km.

Find out more on the Facebook.

Our admin email is on the blink

If you have tried to contact us by email (admin@fridaysforfuture.nz) any time since about Christmas 2023, apologies but we won’t have received it.

We’re currently dealing with some technical problems with the email account and I’ll let you know here when its up and running again.

In the meantime, You can get in touch by:

Fridays for Future on Tuesdays

Now we have the most right-wing, climate-denialist government New Zealand has ever had. So we want to be sure they see our protests.

Because Parliament only sits on Tuesdays – Thursdays, from 9 January 2024 we will protest on Tuesdays (not Fridays) at Parliament.

On the last Friday of each month we will also protest against Fonterra at Midland Park.

The protest time remains unchanged at 12.30-1.30pm.

Check our updated protest schedule.