The defendants say: "Taking action on climate change is not an act of moral righteousness, but of self-defence. History is full of ordinary people who have acted to protect their fundamental rights and we need a strong movement of people doing just that. We want to reiterate our support for everyone fighting for climate justice."

Climate Camp Aotearoa is disgusted by the guilty verdicts. It is the power station operator E.ON that should be on trial for destroying the environment and threatening the lives of millions. We stand in solidarity with activists across the world who are fighting on the front lines of climate change.

Speaking after the verdict one of the defendants, Clare Whitney, said: “During this trial we have heard from people on the front line of our changing climate, and from a company that is still burning the most dirty form of fossil fuel for their economic benefit. These worlds are not compatible. Taking action is not an issue of moral righteousness but an act of self-defence. If we’re to stand a chance of avoiding irreversible climate change we’ve got to realise that to bring about a better world we’ll need to do it ourselves.”