Extinction Rebellion promising ‘counterconference’

DELEGATES at the New Zealand Petroleum Summit being held in Queenstown this month may be met by protesters.

Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion is organising a ‘‘counter-conference’’ to coincide with the 2019 summit, which the group says is being held at the Millennium Hotel on September 30 and October 1, encouraging its own delegates to attend to ‘‘bestow a sense of shame on to this event and those who are supporting and facilitating it’’.

An event page on social media said while delegates of the petroleum summit hoped to ‘‘celebrate our petroleum industry’’, Extinction Rebellion would celebrate its vision of a fossil fuelfree future ‘‘loudly’’.

Details of the ‘‘counterconference’’ would be released on social media to avoid ‘‘the security issues we have faced in the past’’.

‘‘Our counterconference will be creative, festive and fun!’’ the event post said.

‘‘And always, of course, nonviolent.’’

The twoday conference programme — which does not include the location, or dates — includes an address from Minister of Energy and Resources Dr Megan Woods, a New Zealand industry leader’s address from NZ Oil and Gas chief executive Andrew Jeffries and a lunch in partnership with Halliburton, a United States multinational corporation with operations in more than 70 countries and net income of about $1.656 billion.

A variety of topics would be discussed in the commercial and regulatory and geoscience sessions, including the role of New Zealand’s petroleum sector in lowering global emissions, ‘‘policy on the hoof: a case study of the ban on new petroleum exploration permits outside onshore Taranaki’’, and the potential for using gas hydrates as a carbonefficient energy source for New Zealand.

The conference organiser could not be reached for comment.