School Strike 4 Climate Ōtautahi will be leading a
strike at 1pm on Friday 23 October 2026, at the Bridge of
Remembrance, Ōtautahi, New Zealand.
We are striking
to keep the climate crisis in the forefront of voters’
minds this general election. After marching through the
city, we will stage a mock interview with SS4C members
acting as politicians of Aotearoa’s political parties,
with the aim of educating participants on the climate
policies they may be voting for.
SS4C Ōtautahi
believe it is vital that our political parties take
meaningful action towards the climate justice Aotearoa’s
people deserve, and are held to account by the young people
this climate policy disproportionately affects.
“We
deserve more than mitigation,” says Lincoln High School
student and SS4C organiser Fiona Matheson-Grant. “We need
a government that fights for climate
justice.”
Around the world and here in Aotearoa, we
are already facing the catastrophic effects of the climate
crisis. Floods, droughts, and other natural disasters are
impacting communities at home and across the globe, and if
we continue to ignore the climate crisis, these disasters
will become more frequent and lead to further loss of life.
It is essential that we elect a government here in Aotearoa
who will tackle the climate crisis with the urgency it
requires, so that the people and planet can thrive together.
Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata – when the land is
well, the people are well.
With this strike, we aim to
encourage eligible rangatahi to vote and to keep the climate
crisis in mind this election. In addition to this, we hope
to amplify the voice of us rangatahi who cannot vote, as the
young people of Aotearoa are underrepresented in our
democracy despite the fact that it is our futures that will
be impacted by the climate crisis the most.
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“I’m
striking because I think youth involvement in politics is
vital for the future of our planet,” says SS4C organiser
and Cashmere High School student JJ Mathias.
ABOUT
US:
School Strike 4 Climate is a youth-based climate
organisation seeking to elevate the voices of rangatahi
within political spaces and call for a fairer future for
all. Operating on the principle that social justice is
climate justice, the organisation advocates for the
integration of matauranga Māori into climate policy,
focusing on Te Tiriti-centric solutions to the climate
crisis. The movement fights to keep pressure on successive
New Zealand governments to enact strong legislation that
supports young people, the planet, and indigenous
sovereignty in
Aotearoa.
