Students and climate activists have stormed the stage to disrupt a lecture at Auckland University held by Z Energy's CEO.
The event titled Energy Matters about a "transition to a low-carbon future" was held at the Business School on Thursday.
The lecture was delivered by Mike Bennetts, CEO of Z Energy, which is owned by the Australian oil giant Ampol and is the second worst climate polluter in New Zealand.
Footage of the protest shows around 30 protesters from 350 Aotearoa rising from their seats in the lecture hall.
The group starts singing and chanting, while two members storm the stage to display a large banner that said: "just stop oil".
The protesters called the event "greenwashing" and criticised the university for giving a social licence to the fossil fuel industry.
"The fossil fuel industry has spent decades fuelling climate denial and stalling climate action. Z's climate talk has zero credibility and they even missed their own measly climate targets," Auckland student and 350 member Alysha Jurgeleit said.
"Z plans to uphold their climate-wrecking business model for as long as possible to maximise profits for investors.
"You know Z's greenwashing strategy is one of the best in the world when even the top university in the country falls for it. This is no different than inviting a tobacco CEO to give a talk about the transition to a Smokefree Aotearoa."
Protesters including Auckland University students were ordered to leave the university by event organisers.
"The university tells us to be the critic and conscience of society, yet students are being expelled from University premises for doing exactly that," protest spokesperson Adam Currie said.
"Z's business model is fundamentally steeped in climate-killing oil, and events like this legitimises climate criminality and provide the social licence to operate that fossil fuel corporations are desperate for. The greatest risk to our climate is rebranding inadequate policies as climate action."
Another protester at the event slammed Z for the world they're creating.
"As soon as the speeches and chanting began, event organisers yelled at us to be quiet and leave," Olivia Bird, Auckland University student and member of Fridays for Future said.
"Believe me, I wish I could just keep quiet and live my own life, but the world that Z is creating does not allow me that privilege. That is why I am here."
The protesters departed the lecture hall together, singing the traditional activist song "Which side are you on?"
Z Energy told Newshub they do not wish to provide comment on this matter.
Auckland University said the public lecture was on the topic of how we transition to a low carbon economy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
"This is a critically important discussion for this country and the world, and we need to hear from all sides of the debate. Energy companies such as Z Energy have an important role to play in helping to create a low carbon future," a spokesperson told Newshub.
The university said the situation was handled calmly and everyone dispersed at the end.
"We understand that a group of some 15 protesters attended the event to disrupt it. However when University security arrived the interjections and disruption stopped and the talk was continued with the protesters present. The situation was handled calmly and everyone dispersed at the end," the spokesperson said.
"The students' protest reflected the free speech that the University of Auckland espouses, although this comes with responsibility to maintain safety and order."
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