Where next for Climate Justice?

2021 saw us deepen our work within climate justice in response to calls around the world to look after Papatūānuku, and our wider natural world. Seeing a need for campaigns that bring Te Tiriti justice and climate justice together, we were successful in receiving a grant from the Wellington Community Trust to advocate on climate justice issues in the wider Wellington region. 

We know climate change is affecting certain communities first and worst, and this includes Indigenous Peoples around the world. At the same time, these communities are closest to the solutions that will guide us towards a safe and thriving climate future. In the context of Aotearoa, this means Māori governance must be centred and backed with the resources needed to flourish. We can use tools such as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mātauranga Māori to enable Māori leadership that will reduce emissions and carry us through the impacts of climate change without leaving anyone behind. 

To help ActionStation grow in climate justice work, we hired India Logan-Riley (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne, Rongomaiwahine) in June as our Climate Justice Advisor. India’s role is to support the hiring and mentoring of a Climate Justice Campaigner, and development of a climate justice campaign. India brings a background in climate justice and Indigenous rights, with experience ranging from local campaigns to international advocacy at the United Nations. 

You can see India’s powerful speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and learn more about their experience at COP26.

After Matariki, Kassie and India explored what ActionStation’s contribution to achieving climate justice could be by having extensive kōrero with Indigenous experts in the many areas of climate justice, from local government and mātauranga Māori to resistance of fossil fuels expansion and waste minimisation. 

We learnt of the very real need for local climate campaigns in Te Upoko o te Ika that could create concrete political change and spark hope in the face of climate change. This kōrero was the basis for the Climate Justice Campaigner role which is grounded in a relationship with local mana whenua.

Our last success for 2021 was hiring Pania Rei (Ngāti Toa) as our Climate Justice Campaigner, and we could not be more thrilled to have her join the ActionStation team. Watch this space!

ActionStation relies on small donations from people like yourself, the members of the ActionStation community. While grants can help with specific actions, there are parts of our work that are harder to fund through grants. 

The state of Papatūānuku and our planet is in an undeniable crisis, and Indigenous Peoples will be affected first and worst. 

Will you chip in to help us inspire hope and action for climate solutions that are led by Indigenous people?