Pelenise Alofa of the Kiribati Climate Action Network demonstrates in front of the Queen Street branch of ANZ Bank. Photo / Alexandra Wimley
Climate change activists from around the Pacific and their New Zealand allies assembled and occupied a 'Future Climate Refugee Camp' outside ANZ bank's flagship branch on Queen Street in Auckland, hoping to encourage the Australian-owned banking giant to divest from fossil fuels.
The camp, made up of army
green cots, sleeping bags and bare-bones rations, represented a future for Pacific Islanders caused by climate change.
"It's already happening. We're the victims of sea-level rise, floods, affected water supplies, draughts, food security problems," said Milan Loeak of Indigenous People for Climate Change. "It's a scary thought to lose our islands. How can our children know their history?"
According to 350 Aotearoa spokesperson Saia Mikaele Maiava, fossil fuel companies are the primary catalyst for climate change, and they are largely supported by banks like ANZ, which is the largest bank in the Pacific with many Pacific Islanders as customers.
"The power in in the money," said Maiava. "They say they want to support our people, our islands, but climate change is destroying our islands. We need them to use our money better."
Currently, according to 350 Aotearoa, ANZ has over $14 billion invested in the fossil fuel industry, and this year they sponsored the widely protested Advantage New Zealand Petroleum Summit.
ANZ uses branding encouraging a bright future. One of their slogans is, "We live in your world". In May it launched its "your world, your way" campaign which highlighted inspiring stories of the people who bank with the company.
