Greenpeace protesters convicted of trespass

Greenpeace activist are seen with signs saying 'This is Real Climate Change' at Parliament House. Photo / Marty Melville, Getty Images

Four Greenpeace protesters who climbed onto Parliament have pleaded guilty and been convicted of trespass.

Johno Smith, Jeff Harrison, Abi Smith, and Verena Maeder, have been convicted after appearing before a judge in the Auckland District Court today.

All have been remanded at large for sentencing in October.

In July, the group scaled the walls of Parliament, and erected solar panels on its roof.

They also unfurled a banner, which featured a headshot of John Key and said: "Cut pollution, create jobs? Yeah, nah".

Greenpeace said this was in reference to the "Government's failure to tackle pollution".

It said "thousands" of clean energy jobs could be created if the Government chose to tackle this issue.

The group stayed on the roof for the day.

Speaking outside Auckland District Court today Johno Smith said the group climbed parliament because they believed the Government was not taking climate change seriously.

"In seven years, John Key and his Government haven't introduced one single piece of law to reduce climate pollution," he said.

"That's bad news for our country, our planet, our kids and our economy."

Yesterday's announcement that Solid Energy was to go into administration, would see hundreds of jobs lost, Mr Smith said.

"Hundreds of people may now lose their jobs. If the Government had instead backed our own clean energy industries, we could be looking at thousands of jobs being created.