To Prime Minister Chris Hipkins,
We ask that your Government move immediately to stop any new or expanded coal mines in Aotearoa.
The world has a limited time to bring back healthy forests, rivers and oceans, and avoid dangerous climate change. New coal mines now would lock us into high-emissions scenarios for decades to come.
A well-planned transition to a better world requires a clear signal from Government, but current laws still allow new coal mines – even on conservation land.
The time to act is now – Because of existing consents, New Zealand is already committed to many years of coal mining. The International Energy Agency agrees that the world needs to stop all new or expanded coal mines from 2021.
Our climate must be safe – To keep warming below 1.5 °C, developed nations such as New Zealand must take responsibility for all our emissions. This includes stopping new or expanded mines to export coal.
Endangered species are at risk – Proposed opencast mines risk nature not only through climate impacts, but also through digging up the habitat of endangered species such as kiwi.
We need a nature-first climate response – It’s time to stop mining our public conservation land, especially for coal. We need our wetlands and forests to help keep the whole planet healthy.