Wellington 2008: Chosen theme: Kick the habit:
Towards a Low Carbon Economy
New Zealanders are proud of their green credentials, and take great steps to protect the richness and natural environment. They were one of the first countries to pledge a carbon neutral future and chose this theme to share their aims and successes, and to encourage others to follow suit.
A Brief Look at New Zealand
New Zealand is a remote island nation, lying more than 1000 miles south east of its nearest neighbour, Australia, in the south Pacific Ocean. It consists of 2 main islands with numerous other smaller associated islands. It shows a huge variety in its climate and landscape – long sandy beaches in the north to glaciers and snow-capped peaks in the south, with volcanoes, caves and fjords in between.
The flora and fauna are unique since the island separated from other land a long time ago. There is some tension between the indigenous Māori and the later arrivals, but minority rights and equality are important in New Zealand politics. Wellington is the capital of the country, although not the largest city. It is on the southern end of North Island, and is an important transport hub with ferry links to South Island. It lies on a geological fault zone and has survived several earthquakes. Agriculture and forestry are important economically for the country, although tourism and the service sector are major employers.
Ideas for Further Study
Find out more about how they marked the day in 2008 here.
- Why is this theme important to the host city/country?
- Why is the theme important in averting the climate crisis and supporting environmental sustainability?
- How did they raise awareness of its importance?
- What actions arose from this? Is the world in a better place because of it?
- What more might they have done with today’s knowledge?