Sophie Handford

Sophie Handford
Born2000 or 2001
EducationKāpiti College
WebsiteLabour

Sophie Handford (born 2000 or 2001)[1] is a New Zealand climate activist and politician. She founded and served as national coordinator of School Strike 4 Climate NZ and was a member of the Kapiti Coast District Council from 2019 to 2025, representing the Paekākāriki–Raumati ward.

In April 2025 she announced she would not seek re-election at the 2025 local elections.

Early life and education

Handford grew up on the Kāpiti Coast and attended Kāpiti College, where she was head girl in 2018.[1]

Activism

In 2018–2019 Handford founded School Strike 4 Climate in New Zealand and became its national coordinator. Under her leadership the movement organised nationwide actions in 2019, including the 27 September mobilisation in which organisers and media reported an estimated 170,000 participants across more than 40 events nationwide.[2][3][4][5]

She was selected as Youth MP for Kris Faafoi at the 2019 New Zealand Youth Parliament.[6][7]

International engagement

In 2020, Handford participated in the Ship for World Youth programme, a Japanese government-funded youth exchange and leadership initiative that brings together young leaders from around the world.[8][9]

In November 2021 Handford was selected as one of four New Zealand delegates to APEC's Voices of the Future programme. The delegates presented their youth declaration to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during APEC Leaders' Week hosted by New Zealand.[10][11]

In late 2023, Handford was awarded a Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia, administered by Education New Zealand. The scholarship funded a two month sustainability internship in Tokyo, Japan, organised through CRCC Asia. She worked on integrating initiatives focused on decarbonising communities and systems.[12][13][14]

Political career

Handford was first elected to the Kāpiti Coast District Council in the 2019 local elections, winning the Paekākāriki–Raumati ward seat at age 18.[15][1][16] She was re-elected in 2022.[16] As of August 2025, she serves as Chair of the Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee and Deputy Chair of the Climate and Environment Subcommittee, with appointments to several community bodies including the Kāpiti Coast Youth Council.[17] She has also served as a Zone 4 representative on the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Young Elected Members Committee.[18]

In April 2025 Handford stated she would not stand again at the 2025 New Zealand local elections.[19] In November 2025, she was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for Kapiti in the 2026 New Zealand general election.[20]

Awards

  • The Post Wellingtonian of the Year: Supreme Award (2019 - joint recipient with Tahir Nawaz)[8][21]
  • New Zealand Youth Awards: Taiao - Commitment to the Environment Award (2019)[22]
  • Forest & Bird: Te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Taiao Youth Award (2020)[23]
  • GirlBoss Awards: Sustainability Award (2019)[24][25]
  • The Impact Awards: Winner, Climate category (2019)[26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Willis, Rosalie (13 October 2019). "Sophie Handford: 'We're a step towards diversity'". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  2. ^ "Schools Strike 4 Climate Protest Leader Becomes NZ's Youngest Councillor". Now to Love – New Zealand. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  3. ^ "I/V w/ Sophie Handford for School Strike 4 Climate NZ: March 13, 2019". 95bFM. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Anger and outrage: students to rally against government climate approach". www.renews.co.nz. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Thousands in New Zealand kick-start new wave of climate protests". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  6. ^ "2019 New Zealand Youth Awards Recipients Announced". www.beehive.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Youth Parliament 2019 declares climate emergency". RNZ. 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Teen Climate Activist Sophie Handford Is A Driving Force For Change". Viva (The New Zealand Herald). 7 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Speakers – O Tātou Ngahere Conference – Sophie Handford". O Tātou Ngahere Conference. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  10. ^ "APEC Voices of the Future: Jacinda Ardern receives declaration". The New Zealand Herald. 9 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  11. ^ "APEC Voices New Zealand – 2021 delegates". APEC Voices New Zealand. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Sophie Handford awarded a Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia". Kāpiti News (NZ Herald). 29 January 2024. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Prime Minister's Scholarship individual awardees for 2023-24 announced". Education New Zealand. 21 December 2023. Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  14. ^ VegeProject, P. R. (23 July 2024). "VegeProject Interns Organized a Workshop for Young Activists". Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  15. ^ Council, Kāpiti Coast District. "Final results – Kāpiti Coast District Council". www.kapiticoast.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  16. ^ a b Council, Kāpiti Coast District. "Declared final results – Kāpiti Coast District Council". www.kapiticoast.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  17. ^ Council, Kāpiti Coast District. "Councillors – Kāpiti Coast District Council". www.kapiticoast.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Sophie Handford". www.lgnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  19. ^ Wong, Jon. "Outgoing activist-turned-councillor has high hopes for local government". The Post. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  20. ^ Whyte, Anna (19 November 2025). "Climate activist turned councillor named as Labour's Kāpiti candidate". The Post.
  21. ^ "New Kāpiti Coast district councillor Sophie Handford shares top award for her climate change strike". Kāpiti News (NZ Herald). 19 November 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  22. ^ "2019 New Zealand Youth Awards Recipients Announced". Beehive.govt.nz. 24 June 2019. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  23. ^ "School climate strike organiser Sophie Handford wins Forest & Bird youth award". Forest & Bird. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  24. ^ "GirlBoss Awards celebrate young female trailblazers from across Aotearoa". TP+. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  25. ^ "The GirlBoss Awards winners showcase next generation of Kiwi trailblazers". Idealog. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  26. ^ "A tide of young leadership swells at Festival for the Future". Idealog. 9 August 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
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