Women and girls are a key to climate action. There is an urgency at every level to effectively mitigate the devastations of the Climate Crisis. Collectively women must be at the decision-making table to help find strategic solutions through influencing climate change policy and legislation and to engage at grass roots. Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and te ao Māori (the Māori world) values need to be centralised in our relationship with whenua.

The Auckland Branch and the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Action Hub collaborated for the Suffrage Day Event held in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. The National Council of Women worked with Auckland Council to celebrate the auspicious occasion of 130 years since women won the right to vote. This is the first year of a new partnership working with Te Rōpū Wāhine, Auckland Council’s Women’s Collective Network, and it is an exciting partnership working with local wāhine toa. The event was held, as in recent years, at the Suffrage Memorial - Te Hā O Hine Place. Speakers included the Auckland President, Barbara Myers, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Challen Wilson, and included karakia and koreo from Ngati Whatua. Over a hundred and thirty attended the sunny lunchtime event that celebrated achievements including the Life Membership awarded to Jane Prichard.

The NCWNZ Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (CCES) Action Hub held an online meeting on 21 November 2022 at 7 p.m. with Christine Caughey serving as CCES Hub Convenor. Caughey welcomed Ayushi Kachhara, air quality specialist working in the engineering consultancy, WSP. Her topic was “Reducing air pollution could result in lower climate impacts. So where is the hurdle?”

Kachhara outlined the origins of many of the air quality contaminants emitted every day from business, industrial, transport, domestic and other activities. She focused not only on the human health impacts including premature deaths, but also on the impacts on the natural and ecological environments.