Climate forum plots way ahead

Think climate change and people’s rights might not immediately spring to mind.

But protecting them is one of the goals of a ground-breaking new forum in Nelson, aimed at bringing the community and leaders together to decide how to tackle forecast climate threats.

Nearly 300 community members, including local organisations and small businesses, had accepted invitations to tomorrow’s launch of the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, ‘‘the first of its kind’’ in New Zealand, forum interim co-chair Julie Nevin said.

The Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, is also due to attend the event, as well as Nelson mayor Rachel Reese, Tasman district mayor Tim King, and Nelson City Council’s new climate change champion, Chris Cameron.

Nevin said everyone at the launch, which was open to members of the public, would get their say on what climate action they thought should be taken first.

‘‘What is really important . . . is whatever we decide to do, we decide to do it together,’’ Nevin said.

‘‘That way we can create a fair outcome.’’

The forum was set up with help from Nelson City Council, which allocated $30,000 to the establishment of a climate forum and taskforce after it declared a climate emergency last year.

Attendees will be invited to sign a charter recognising that human-induced climate change represents ‘‘one of the greatest threats to future generations’’ but that if societies take ‘‘urgent, sustained and collaborative action’’, they can decrease and manage the impacts.

The charter was designed by a working group including climate activists, scientists from the Cawthron Institute, and people from industries like tourism, forestry and small businesses.

Anyone wanting to attend is asked to send an RSVP online at: nelsontasman climateforum.org/. The launch will take place at Annesbrook Church, 40 Saxton Rd West, Stoke, from 1pm-4pm on February 29.