EVERY CHILD DESERVES
TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR

But over 900 schools are waiting for funding to transition off fossil fuels

Only 8% of schools have been transitioned off fossil fuels.

Fossil Free Schools

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to breathe clean air when they go to school.
More than 400,000 young people in Aotearoa attend schools burning dirty fossil fuels that pollute our air and emit greenhouse gases that are causing the climate crisis.
Sign the petition to call on the government to fund a fast transition to 100% renewable energy for all schools.
Learn more about our Fossil Free Schools campaign here.

View the full petition text.

Sign the petition for 100% renewable energy for all schools in Aotearoa!

Dear Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education, Hon Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance, and Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change,

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to breathe clean air when they go to school. Currently, more than 400,000 young people in Aotearoa attend schools burning dirty fossil fuels that pollute our air and emit greenhouse gases that are causing the climate crisis. Our public schools should foster young people to engage in climate change solutions, not be a source of pollution that is harming the environment and exacerbating climate impacts for current and future generations.

We, the undersigned, call on the government to allocate the necessary funding to convert all existing fossil fuel boilers in state sector buildings, including schools by 2025. This means a commitment to significantly increase the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund, and to invest in growing decarbonisation capacity in Aotearoa.

Ngā mihi nui,

Sign the petition for 100% renewable energy for all schools in Aotearoa!

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We know that this issue will personally affect many of you. Do any of the following describe you? Educator Parent or Caregiver Grandparent Student None of the above - but I'm still passionate about this!

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Is your school still waiting for funding?

The government has committed to decarbonising schools. But today, there are still over 900 schools waiting for funding from the government to transition off fossil fuel heating sources like coal and diesel burners. to renewable heating sources

Find out how the transition is going using this map 👇

This map was produced using Ministry of Education data collected in 2011 and 2021.

Actions You Can Take Today...

5 minutes

Sign the petition!

Click here to call on the Government to ban new fossil fuel boilers in schools

Email key MPs

Email key MPs to tell them about your school, and why you want not only your school’s boiler, but boilers at all schools across the country to be replaced. You can use our example as a starting point!

If your school boiler has already been replaced, tell them about how good that’s been, the impact it’s had on your community, and why other schools need to have the same thing happen to them. You could even arrange to set up a meeting and talk to them in-person about it.

Email the ministers we’ve identified as key to the campaign: Budget Ministers Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, Megan Woods, David Parker, and The Education and State Services Minister, Chris Hipkins.

10 minutes

Send a postcard

Choose your favourite postcard from this folder. The folders include ready to send postcards or colour in postcards. Choose your preferred format from pdf or png.
Print your card double-sided - you can print multiple copies to share with friends, family, schools, work etc.
Postcards already have a prepaid mailing address included, so you can write your message on the back about why you want to see 100% renewable energy in all schools and then pop in a post box!

Share your postcard on social media

Take a photo of yourself or your family and friends with the postcard or a photo of the card with a plain background.
Upload it to your preferred social media - don’t forget to share why you want to see 100% renewable energy in all schools and use the hashtags #RenewableEnergy4Schools and #FossilFreeSchools when you post!

30 Minutes

Collect physical petition signatures

Download our blank paper copy of the petition here to print out and collect signatures from your friends, family, schools, work colleagues etc.
Scan the signed forms and send them back to us at 350@350.org.nz for us to upload! If you have no scanner accessible to you, you can also send us good quality photos.

Chat to your school’s enviro group

Schools around the country have lots of different situations when it comes to environmental groups. If your school has an envirogroup, that would be the first point of call to figure out who could help you organise something.

Otherwise, you could ask your friends to help you, or think about working with a teacher at your school who’s interested! Once you have a group of students who are happy to organise things with you, or at least would be interested in participating in them, you’re ready to move on to the next step: taking action! Don’t forget to send us pictures and videos - email us at FossilFreeSchools@350.org.nz.

Make a sign

We are compiling art work and writing from students all over the country to send to our MP’s, answering the following questions:

What do you want your school to look like in 2030?
Why do you want a fossil free future?

Join us in telling our leaders why we want a fossil free future and why they need to increase funding to get coal, oil, and gas out of schools. Learn more and upload your art/writing submissions here,/a>. You can find a full resource pack here,/a>, and send your artwork to 350@350.org.nz.

1 Hour+

Run an art workshop at your school

From now until May 10th 2022 we’ll be collecting artwork and writing from students all over the country to send to our MPs. The aim is to show why students want a fossil-free future, what our inspirations and fears are regarding climate change, and why it’s important to make our schools part of the solution.

Join us in telling our leaders why we want a fossil-free future and why they need to increase funding to get coal, oil, and gas out of schools. This campaign is called It’s Our Future and a full resource pack for running these workshops can be found here, you can check out the official webpage here, to find out more information and submit your artwork.

Share a presentation in class

We have put together a short presentation that you could share in assemblies or classes. All the key information is on the slideshow, and you can elaborate on the bullet points if you want to.

You can use the presentation we’ve linked here, or make your own!

Organise an action at your school

We have a full resource kit with ideas for organising actions at your school here . Have a look and contact us at 350@350.org.nz if you need any help or want to send us photos of your actions!

The solution

So what do we replace fossil fuel boilers with?

When it comes to replacing coal boilers in schools, hospitals, and other Government buildings with renewable energy, we have several options.

These include standard heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, electrode boilers and biomass boilers that burn wood waste. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution: it’s important to choose the renewable option that works best in each particular circumstance, including available renewable energy supply and local environmental effects. Whilst biomass boilers have much lower emissions than coal, oil, or gas boilers, they still contribute to air pollution and are therefore a less favourable alternative.

Wait! But if we are advocating for electric heating wouldn’t our electricity need to be fossil-free too?

Absolutely, that is why we are also campaigning to make New Zealand’s electricity generation 100% fossil free and call for homegrown energy solutions.
Check out our Homegrown Energy campaign here.

Action Toolkits

Want to make your action go further?
Looking for resources, ideas, and more info?

Click the buttons below to download a free action toolkit with resources, ideas, and more information about how to help schools transition off fossil fuels.

For years 7-13

For parents & general public

About us

The Fossil Free State Sector Coalition (FFSSC) are a group of climate justice organisations working together to achieve a fossil free state sector.

Collectively we represent thousands of people across Aotearoa united by our vision for a clean-powered, equitable and just future for all.

Go to the FFSSC Website