Francisco Hernandez brings his passion for climate change issues and his background in political activism and the public service to the Green Party Caucus.

Francisco was born in Manila, Philippines, and migrated to Aotearoa when he was twelve years old, settling in West Auckland. At Otago University he completed a Masters degree and was elected President of the Otago University Students Association, where he implemented programmes to deliver free breakfasts for students using surplus food: blunting the sharp edges of student poverty while also reducing food waste.

Before entering Parliament in 2024, Francisco’s public service career included stints at the Climate Change Commission working on plans to reduce waste, ACC, and the Tertiary Education Commission. He also led the Otago Regional Council’s response to climate change, including the development of a regional climate strategy and the creation of a regional working group on climate change issues.

A lifelong climate activist, Francisco was one of the youth leaders selected for the New Zealand Youth Delegation to the Paris Climate Talks in 2015, which set up the United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He has also been involved with Aotearoa climate activist group Generation Zero, who helped develop and campaign for the world-leading Zero Carbon Act.

As the first progressive Filipino-Kiwi MP, Fran is passionate about standing up for public services, protecting the role of tertiary education as a public good, and supporting emergency management and response work to protect people and nature from climate change and other natural disasters.