OraTaiao Co-convenor Dermot Coffey spoke with Indira Stewart on TVNZ Breakfast about New Zealand's First National Adaptation Plan. You can watch the interview here. 

OraTaiao's stance on climate action and public health supports the facilitation of active transportation in New Zealand. Currently, New Zealand's infrastructure does not support active transportation, with poor walkways and cycleways not allowing for complete trips to where people need and want to go. Nor do they support trips which are safe from traffic injury or crime. It is time for New Zealand to implement the infrastructure and policy needed for active transportation, which will have vast co-health benefits to the overstressed health system and reduce emissions leading to climate change. Read our full statement at the link below. 

Active Transportation Policy Statement

OraTaiao submission to the Environment Committee Komiti Taiao, 27 June 2022

"After OraTaiao’s twelve years of calling for fast fair Tiriti-founded climate action that is healthy for our planet and those who live here, we have mixed feelings about this plan. We are both relieved that legislative and governmental structures are in place with the first plan for climate action finally being proposed, and deeply concerned at how slow and limited this action is. 

"There are two fundamental flaws with the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP): the level of ambition (speed, scale and coverage) is just a fraction of what’s needed, and the agricultural sector, which is our biggest climate polluter, is absent. OraTaiao commends however the ERP focus on empowering Māori." 

Read full submission, including our response to the Environment Committee Komiti Taiao’s key questions, here

This submission was prepared by representative members of OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate and Health Council including our Executive Board, Sylvia Boyd and Matthew Jenks. It is focused on optimising the benefits and minimising the damage to health, wellbeing and equity from our adaptation to climate change. We stress that our National Adaptation Plan must be an opportunity grasped to centralise Te Ao Māori, and return agency and leadership to iwi and hapū around the country. Finally, we recommend that the National Adaptation Plan takes more into account its crucial role in driving emissions reductions as well as simply adaptation.

Read full submission here.

The OraTaiao exec wanted to create a space for our members to share and engage with each other.
To access the members blog, sign in with your OraTaiao login - if you don't have one, just contact [email protected]

By Olivia Wannan for Stuff 05:00, Jun 15 2022

Photo: MONIQUE FORD/STUFF

Summer Wright (Ngāti Maniapoto, Pākehā) is a dietician undertaking her PhD at Massey University, investigating the opportunities for Māori businesses in plant-based kai. She is also a co-convenor for climate action and health advocacy group OraTaiao.

Continue reading here

On World Health Day, TV One News covers our joint letter to the Minister of Health, asking for a new sustainability unit in health sector.

See here from 7min 11s. 

MEDIA RELEASE, 7 April 2022

Today is World Health Day and eleven organisations representing doctors, nurses and other health professionals have written to Health Minister Andrew Little asking that, as part of the Government’s health reforms, our healthcare system is made climate ready and climate friendly.

Today is World Health Day and eleven health organisations (OraTaiao NZ Climate & Health Council; the New Zealand Medical Association; the New Zealand Nursing Organisation; the College of Nurses; the NZ Society of Anaesthetists; the NZ College of Midwives; Hāpai Te Hauora; the Royal Australian and NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; the Royal Australasian College of Physicians; The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners) have written a joint letter to the Minister of Health asking for NZ's health system to be made climate ready and climate friendly. 

Letter to the Minister of Health Andrew Little - 7 April 2022

Article on the climate harming emissions produced by international travel in the health sector, with comments from OraTaiao Co-convenor Dr Dermot Coffey. Read here. 

OraTaiao submission on Auckland Council's Annual Budget, 24 March 2022

"OraTaiao welcomes the climate action package – including the targeted rate - which is not only crucial to reducing the city’s growing greenhouse gas emissions, but also offers significant health benefits to residents by improving public transport, cycleways and walkways and increasing urban forests."

Read full submission here.

Article on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and the need to factor equity into solutions and elevate mātauranga Māori knowledge, with quotes from OraTaiao Co-convenor Dr Dermot Coffey. Read here.

Auckland Council’s annual budget for 2022 - 2023 is out for consultation and the main focus is climate change! Please show your support by making a quick (3 minute) submission by 28 March 2022. 

MEDIA STATEMENT, 1 March 2022

Today’s new IPCC report on the impacts of climate change is a stark warning of the physical and mental health impacts on our communities  from climate breakdown. The report, produced by hundreds of experts worldwide, highlights the damage which has already occurred to nature and people from climate change, including more frequent and intense weather events, and warns of an acceleration unless urgent action is taken.

Interview with OraTaiao Co-convenor Dr Dermot Coffey on health sector emissions, and the need for a sustainability unit in the new health agencies. Read here (subscribers only).

OraTaiao submission to the United Nations, 15 February 2022

"Aotearoa New Zealand is not taking the necessary actions to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This fails children within our nation and our extraterritorial obligations to protect the rights of children globally." Submission to the UN prepared by OraTaiao members Liz Springford, Dr Alison Blaiklock and Dr Penelope Milson.