About 350 Aotearoa

Our Mission

350 Aotearoa is part of an international movement to unite the world around solutions to climate change. Our mission is to inspire communities across New Zealand to act on the climate crisis with a sense of unity, urgency and possibility. 

Our Background

350 Aotearoa was launched on 6 December 2008 at the 350 Climate Action Festival. Over 5,000 people converged on Waitangi Park, Wellington, to celebrate our communities, connection and action on climate change.

The festival was organised by a group of 30 university students, secondary school students and young professionals who joined forces to realise our dream – a youth-led movement on climate change. We converged on Parliament to deliver a message to Members of Parliament and the new Government. This is what went down ...  

And check out the inspiring goodness of the festival ...
  

Our Vision

350 founder and world-renowned author Bill McKibben’s recent tour of New Zealand has seen our support base rapidly grow. 350 Aotearoa is now co-ordinating action groups in nine regions across Aotearoa ... and thousands of  New Zealanders are connecting and getting behind the 350 vision.  The vision is for strong and inspiring action on climate change, led by our world leaders and starting in Copenhagen!

350 Aotearoa is about using creativity and fun to tackle this, the most serious and pressing of the challenges that we collectively face. 

Why 350?!

Scientists say that an atmospheric carbon dioxide of 350 parts per million is the safe upper limit for humanity.  The global 350 team boiled down the science of climate change and the vision of the 350 movement into a 90-second vid. Check it out!
 

Our Principles

Emphasis on creating a positive future
Reframe and transform the conversation around the climate crisis so that the focus is on opportunity rather than burden.

Inclusive and diverse
Embrace Aotearoa's rich diversity of communities by being generous, easily approachable and open-minded.

Dynamic, creative and fun
Inject creativity and fun into tackling this, the most serious and pressing of challenges that we collectively face.

Collaborative and autonomous
Value collective decision making while empowering individuals to take action locally, nationally and internationally.

The Science Behind 350

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. Learn more about 350 – what it means, where it came from, and how to get there. Read more >>