About
350 Aotearoa
350 Aotearoa is the New Zealand arm of the international climate movement 350.org, which aims to unite the world around climate change solutions.
Our mission is to support a just transition to a community-led renewable energy future by fostering and enhancing a resilient climate movement.
We are part of a powerful climate movement in Aotearoa, working to deconstruct the pillars of support for the fossil fuel industry and dismantle the structures of oppression that enable it by running strategic campaigns and standing in solidarity with Māori, tangata Moana and frontline voices.
Our campaigns challenge the cultural acceptance of fossil fuels, and push New Zealand and the rest of the world back on track to 350ppm and, consequentially, climate safety (350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in “Parts Per Million” in our atmosphere. 350 PPM).
Strategic Plan
For screenreader users, you can read our Strategic Plan in a plain document here.
Our Te Tiriti Statement
350 Aotearoa is guided by the four articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in conjunction with He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nū Tīrene. We tautoko whānau, hapū and iwi assertions of mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga. We recognise that hapū in Aotearoa never ceded sovereignty.
We recognise Mātauranga Māori is at the forefront of achieving climate justice in Aotearoa and our response to climate justice is guided, sustained and strengthened by the tangata whenua assertion of Tino rangatiratanga.
350 Aotearoa asserts that climate justice is only possible when whānau, hapū and iwi can realise kaitiakitanga and their aspirations for their rohe. We’re committed to working in right relationship with mana whenua. We commit to constitutional transformation by actively working towards the recommendations set out by Matike Mai Aotearoa – The Independent Working Group on Constitutional Transformation.
To demonstrate our commitment to the Matike Mai recommendations, we actively support wider movement work to reform the kāwanatanga (crown) sphere’, whilst supporting the expansion of the ‘rangatiratanga (tangata whenua) sphere’ which has yet to be recognised and respected by the crown. Working in right relationship means finding opportunities for appropriate collaboration, relationship building, and joint decision making processes, as we contribute towards the development of a functioning ‘relational sphere’.
We acknowledge the clear intersection of climate justice and Indigenous justice. The climate crisis is an intersectional issue that continues to uphold capitalist, colonial, white supremacist systems of oppression – and therefore disproportionately impacts marginalised communities.
350 Aotearoa is an organisation grown out of the international 350.org movement, on a journey of being rooted in this land in right relationship with whānau, hapū and iwi. We are an organisation that acknowledges, supports, and prioritises te ao Māori and te reo Māori in relationship to being manuhiri of this whenua.
Through our connection to the 350.org international community we stand in solidarity with Indigenous, frontline, and marginalised communities across the world. We prioritise relationships with others in 350 Oceania and uphold our responsibility to act in solidarity with our Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa neighbours and whānau.
In stating this commitment we know we will make mistakes, but we are committed to learning from these and making things right.
The Team
The work of 350 Aotearoa is sustained by our passionate teams of volunteers across the country, our small team of hard-working staff, our dedicated board, and our supporter base, who donate and amplify our work.
Staff
Alva Feldmeier(She/her, nō Hāmene ahau)
Co-Director
alva@350.org.nz Alva has a background in community organising, campaigning, and lobbying in the human rights and climate justice space. She first got involved with the 350 Aotearoa community as a volunteer in the 350 Ōtepoti Dunedin group in 2018. She enjoys working with volunteers and in an organisation that wants to unite people by collectively tackling the climate crisis.Alva joined our staff team in 2021 initially as our Volunteer and Mobilisation Manager a few months later stepped into the position of Executive Director.
Lisa McLaren(She/her, nō Aotearoa ahau)
Co-Director
lisa@350.org.nz
Lisa McLaren has been involved in climate change activism and academia for over 15 years. She was the National Convenor of the Zero Carbon Act campaign for new climate law. She has previously worked in local government on climate policy, emergency response, and community resilience.
Lisa has attended several United Nations climate change negotiations and she was recognised in 2020 with a Queen’s Service Medal for services to climate change advocacy.Lisa is passionate about localising climate change conversations and bringing communities together to face the challenges of the climate crisis head on.
(He/him, Tangata Tiriti, ancestors from Loch Lomond, Scotland)
Movement Support Manager
adam@350.org.nzAdam’s been campaigning for climate justice ever since a freak storm sent waves crashing into his community. He’s worked in and with groups such as Generation Zero, Greenpeace, freefares.nz & Oil Free Otago – but he’s stoked to be back at 350, where his activism began. Adam’s in love with climate organising in collective community, building together the unstoppable momentum of people power that will create a cleaner, fairer Aotearoa.
(She/her, nō Urukuai ahau)
Admin Coordinator
iara@350.org.nz
Iara first got involved as a volunteer with the local 350 Tāmaki Makaurau group in 2020. She later joined the staff team in 2022. She is passionate about climate justice, social justice, and community care. Iara loves working with volunteers, and takes particular care in ensuring that those involved in the climate movement feel safe, included, and heard.
Local Volunteer Groups
We know our voices are stronger when we raise them together. Climate change is the fight of our time, and to create meaningful change we need to act together. We began as a grassroots movement in 2009 and that hasn’t changed, by bringing together our skills, time, and networks we can create the change we need.
Together, we can put pressure on our banks, councils, unions, schools and other local institutions to divest from the fossil fuel industry. And it’s happening everywhere: your local group is one of thousands across the globe, all calling on our institutions to cut their financial ties with this dirty industry.
What’s involved with local group organising? Our dedicated teams across Aotearoa organise local events, activities and climate actions. This could involve everything from banner painting, outreach, and social media, to getting behind the megaphone on the day. There’s a place for everyone and we strive to make sure everyone’s skills and talents are valued. We also provide opportunities to up-skill, so make sure you let us know what you’re interested in – whether you’re an expert or completely new to all of this!
350 Tāmaki Makaurau
Kia ora koutou! Our core group is about eight volunteers strong, and we meet weekly on Wednesdays – alternating between online and in-person each week.
Many of us have roles (e.g. social media, recruitment, or leading a campaign) but we all choose our level of commitment. We know life is busy – so we even have a wider group of volunteers who don’t feel they can commit on a weekly basis, but help us out with protests, postering, come to quarterly catch-ups, and lend a hand wherever else they’d like to!
In 2024, we’re focusing on public transport. We always welcome new voices in this movement, so we’d love to see you get involved!
Follow us on our Instagram or email us at auckland@350.org.nz to get in touch!
350 Pāmutana
Kia ora e hoa ma! We are the 350 Pāmutana whānau. We are a small but growing rōpū of keen activists in the Manawatū.
This year we are focused on building our group of core campaigners and campaigning on local issues.
We meet every second Thursday in Palmy, both in person and online. We are a rōpū all about whanaungatanga and make sure that during our meetings we have fun and build our sense of community in the group.
350 Pāmutana formed in 2021 through the initiative of Ryan, one of our amazing members. Check out how our group came to be and what we’re looking forward to in 2023: https://350.org.nz/350-te-papaioea-keeping-a-watchful-eye-on-solar-panel-progress/
If you are keen to get involved with 350 Pāmutana follow our journey on Instagram or reach out to us at palmerston-north@350.org.nz
350 Pōneke
Kia ora! We are the 350 crew from Pōneke! We do lots of creative, cool, and effective actions to create action on climate change. Some of our recent wins are Kiwibank divesting and a roadmap for ACC to divest.
We meet weekly on a Monday at 6:30pm and we’d love for you to join us in whatever capacity you can!
To get in touch you can email us at: wellington@350.org.nz
350 Ōtepoti
We are a passionate intergenerational group of volunteers that meets fortnightly on Wednesdays on or near the Otago University Campus. We organise actions that look to creatively engage the public on our key campaigns through art, drama, music, and whānau-friendly activities. Recently, we’ve focussed on pressuring ACC to divest from fossil fuels and called on the government to allocate more funding to transitions all fossil fuel boilers in kura and schools.
Manaakitanga is an important part of our group’s identity. When we meet we always share kai and bring our full selves. We aspire to be a supportive community where all are welcome and can participate as they’re able.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram or email us to get in touch!
dunedin@350.org.nz
Board
350 Aotearoa Board (August 2022)
Tania Sawicki Mead
Co-Chair
co-chairs@350.org.nz
Tania has a background in campaigning, advocacy, political strategy and human rights policy. She currently works for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission and previously had roles as the Executive Director of JustSpeak, at the Green Party of Aotearoa and in foreign affairs. She has a Masters in International Relations from the University of British Columbia. She is a born and bred Wellingtonian and is passionate about supporting interconnected movements for social, climate and economic justice, and enjoys diving, cooking feasts for family and friends and dance.
Kaeden Watts
Interim Co-Chair
Kaeden Watts (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Tūhoe) (he/him) works at the intersection of climate change and tino rangatiratanga. Kaeden is experienced in climate advocacy movements, campaigning and environmental advisory services at the grassroots level and government in New Zealand, as well as at the international-level through the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change and United Nations Human Rights working group.
He is the Trustee and co-founder of Te Waka Angamua, an organisation responding to climate-induced impacts affecting vulnerable communities through amplifying Indigenous methods to inform our national response to climate change.
Áine Kelly-Costello
Trustee
Nō Aerana, nō Kotirana ōku tūpuna. I tipu ake au ki Aerana, ki Kānata, ki Aotearoa hoki. Ko te North Shore tōku kāinga inaianei. He Pākehā au. Ko Áine tōku ingoa.
Áine (Pākehā, they/them) is a PhD candidate, journalist and activist for overlapping kaupapa including advocacy within disability community, climate justice, immigration and Tiriti justice. Their introduction to campaigning was through the Fossil free university movement spearheaded by 350. They’ve since worked on making climate justice advocacy more accessible to disabled community as well as writing and podcasting on the intersections of disability and climate justice. Examples of their work and contact deets – https://linktr.ee/ainekc/
Erica Brooks
Trustee
Erica is Scottish born and raised, grown on Wiradjuri & Gadigal land, and now tangata tiriti in Aotearoa. Though her background is in creative arts, events and media, her interest in systems change and justice movements led her into government service. Her current work centres around organisational design and wellbeing, gender and ethnicity equity, community building and change management. She’s passionate about good governance, adaptive organisations, ethical leadership and planet-centred design.
Holly Beals
Board Member
Holly is a Strategic Director and Programme Manager with multi-sector experience working with innovative and purpose-led organisations in Aotearoa.
She brings governance and strategic leadership experience to the board having held roles – Director of Strategic Projects, and prior to that Acting CEO at Goodnature, a conservation technology company, tackling biodiversity decline with non-toxic & humane traps for pest animals.
Passionate in the protection of our indigenous taonga, Holly is driven to work for systemic change for a more equitable and climate resilient future for Aotearoa. She is based in Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington.
Annual Report
For screenreader users, you can read the annual report in a plain document here.
2021
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact
General Enquiries:
Email: 350@350.org.nz
Media Enquiries:
Email: alva@350.org.nz
Postal address:
98 St Heliers Bay Road
St Heliers
1071 Auckland