Pāpāho (Media)

For Immediate Release 

Māori Climate Commissioner: Greta Thunberg : A Wahine Toa of our Times

Māori Climate Commissioner, Donna Awatere Huata, applauds the  courage by 16 year old climate activist, Greta Thunberg, who has gone on Friday strikes from school to protest the lack of action on global warming.

"Her protest which has been copied by other school children all over the world and her cutting words at the World Economic Forum force the rest of us to sit and listen."

Thunberg told political leaders, “We need to hold the older generations accountable for the mess they have created, and expect us to live with. It is not fair that we have to pay for what they have caused."

"Greta's wisdom at the intergenerational crime of climate change should inspire older New Zealanders to heed her pleas and support politicians to make the bold changes the latest research from the scientific coalface is calling for. Her challenge is a call to action for this generation of power holders and decision makers to reject public relations campaigns from Big Oil, from the farming sector and from other major emitters to protect their ability to continue to create climate changes that Greta’s generation and those after must deal with."

"The Māori belief that it is our responsibility, passed onto to us from our ancestors, to leave the environment fit for future generations is a cultural value that needs to be learned and adopted.  

“That is the message Greta is sending to her elders : Take responsibility for your mess.  Do something about it. Don’t leave it to the next generations."

For all media enquiries please contact:

Donna Awatere Huata
Māori Climate Commissioner

021 196 4441

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