Climate Club Starter Pack 🌱
Your first steps towards everyday climate action
Welcome to the Climate Club starter pack! Here are climate actions that you can set and forget, but will continue to have an impact, no matter where you’re at in your climate journey.
If it’s your first time taking climate action, welcome 💚 If you’ve already done some of these, welcome back to you too! It’s a good chance to check in on the basics, or share with a friend so they can take their first steps into collective climate action too.
💸 Move your money (costs you nothing!)
Did you know that your savings might be funding fossil fuels companies? Moving your money to banks and KiwiSavers that don’t invest in fossil fuels cost nothing. In fact, ethical banks and funds earn the same or better than unethical ones! This could be one of the lowest-effort, high-impact things you do. It’s a set & forget action that will help the climate for years to come.
Check that your bank doesn’t invest in fossil fuels with 350 Aotearoa’s Fossil Free Banks scorecard. If you’re already with a bank that has divested from fossil fuels, amplify your impact with some of the suggested quick actions further down the page.
Together, New Zealanders have over $86b in KiwiSaver funds - that’s a lot of collective power! Use Mindful Money’s handy tool to make sure your KiwiSaver or investments aren’t supporting fossil fuels.
💭 Know the key facts
NZ has one of the highest emissions per person in the world. The emissions of all the small countries like us add up to more than the emissions of China and India combined. Small countries have a big role to play in climate change.
NZ’s emissions are made up of:
Agriculture (50%): particularly dairy, sheep, and beef. Agriculture makes up more than 50% of our emissions, but only around 5-7% of our GDP.
Transport (17.5%): all the petrol & diesel cars, trucks, motor boats, and planes
Solutions: upgrading fossil fuel vehicles to EVs, pushing for cheaper & more reliable public transport like buses and trains, and safe cycleways and walkways for more biking, scooting and walking.
Waste (4.5%): most of this is methane from organic waste (food, garden, street sweepings) that have gone to landfill rather than compost. Inorganic waste doesn’t actually have significant emissions, although it’s bad for other reasons.
A significant amount of our domestic emissions (ones that aren’t related to our exports) are from fossil fuel use in the home - gas heaters, gas cooktops (which are also bad for lung health), and petrol/diesel cars. Electrifying these can be one of the biggest set & forget climate actions you can take, and it can also save you money.
Solutions: Upgrade gas and other fossil fuel appliances for electric alternatives like heat pumps, induction cooktops, and EVs.
🫱🏾🫲🏻 Join a climate org
There are over 50 climate organisations in New Zealand. These communities focus on everything including food, fashion, finance, law, art, sports, humanitarian rights, and more — there’s something for everyone. They are all working together to build the rich tapestry of solutions we need, and they all need more volunteers. Check it out & consider joining!
Our list of 50+ NZ climate organisations: divided into topics of interest
New Zealand Climate Action Network: the NZ branch of a global network of climate orgs,
Climate Movement Aotearoa NZ: a very broad directory including NGOs, government bodies and council initiatives, and businesses
Climate Connect Aotearoa: specifically the climate innovation space, including finance, business, etc.
Project Moonshot: circular & regenerative initiatives in New Zealand.
Climate Job Board: a little spreadsheet we maintain (very occasionally 😅) with climate roles in NZ
So You Want To Work In Climate: a massive list of communities, job boards, not-profits, and resources from all over the world (a bit US-centric, but great for remote online volunteering!)
💞 Clue up on conversations
How we talk about climate change with family & friends is one of the key ways that we will shift public opinion.
Here’s a quick guide on how to talk about climate change to friends & whānau. Learn one of these rules and try it over BBQs!
Remember that conversations are a two-way street. If you are going into a conversation trying to convince someone to do something, then you are already starting on the back foot. Be curious about what values you might share with this person, and try to connect to what they are wanting to see in the world - you might be surprised at the overlaps! Most people want a fair, equal, safe climate future, even if they might not use those words to express it.
Parents for Climate Action Aotearoa run “Let’s Talk Climate” workshops if you’d like to practice these skills with a friendly and supportive group.
📚 Skim some quick reads
You might be wondering why Climate Club doesn’t focus as much on lifestyle actions (e.g. recycling). Here’s a quick primer on why we think systemic and collective actions are the best place to put our energy.
Check out our short articles on key topics like how to cope with climate anxiety, what the emissions trading scheme is, and how to write a letter to the editor.
Everyone has unique skills to offer. We love this quiz on how you can contribute to the climate space. At the end, it suggests actions you can take!
👯♀️ Bring a friend along
Caring about climate change can evoke a lot of emotions. That’s why it’s important to do it with others. In addition, helping other people get involved with climate action can be one of the most impactful things you do! Ideas:
Start a casual book club (here’s a list of recommendations!)
Invite a friend to a movie screening, or watch a doco with your flat or family.
Create space to discuss feelings that might arise. Here are some prompts for vulnerable conversations about climate change:
When's the last time you felt really connected to nature?
What motivates you to care about the environment?
What emotions come up when you think about climate change?
What would fair and equitable solutions look like?
🧘🏽♀️Keeping it sustainable - for you!
Sit up tall, unclench your jaw, and take a deep breath. Getting into a new space can feel overwhelming, but there are communities and common practices to support you to contribute effectively, in a sustainable way:
Go for walks or meditate regularly (here’s a couple guided meditations!)
Get out into nature
Take breaks from screens, social media, and news
Find a community of other folks who care about the climate 🤝
Therapy can help if things feel really hard
Just remember that we’re glad you’re here, and what the climate needs is not all of us doing climate action perfectly, but lots of us doing what we can. Share this post with a friend so they can start taking action with you!
Thanks for taking action! 💖 Join us at Climate Club for weekly emails of 5/15/30 minute systemic actions, made for busy people who want to do something about the climate.
Do you recommend peaceful civil disruption as an avenue for change? E.g. the public demos against Julian Batchelor's anti-co-governance tasks. Or the actions of Restore Passenger Rail?