NZ scales up climate action
A new strategy to drive New Zealand’s investment in climate action in the Pacific and globally has outlined how the record $1.3 billion commitment for mitigation and adaptation will be spent.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced the International Climate Finance Strategy, Tuia te Waka a Kiwa, which sets out the Government’s approach to deliver a scaled-up climate finance pledge made last year.
Mahuta travelled to Tonga to launch the strategy yesterday, and to announce the first investment in the Pacific nation from the new climate finance strategy.
‘‘The ... strategy spells out how Aotearoa New Zealand will put its investments to work in practical terms, to support Pacific partners and whānau to build resilience and deal with the number one security threat in the region,’’ Mahuta said in Nukua’lofa. She was in Niue earlier where she confirmed a further $500,000 investment to complete the Pacific nation’s renewable energy projects.
She said this followed the $5 million for solar generation from a 2018 climate package to Niue.
In Tonga, Mahuta visited
New Zealand projects and agencies with local community leaders including civil society organisations and frontline health workers
‘‘The high-level principles for investing in climate action reflect a focus on partnership, achieving a collective impact to make a difference globally, bringing a long-term perspective and linking with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region,’’ Mahuta said.
‘‘The strategy has four key goals: to enhance resilience and adaptation; promote quicker action on mitigation; improve information to allow evidencebased decisions; and leverage our investments impact.
‘‘Aotearoa New Zealand will support indigenous-led approaches and work with communities to recognise their history, culture and expertise as central to effectively responding to climate change.’’
This is how Aotearoa can have a Pacific focus, as well as a global impact, said Mahuta.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the new strategy underlined New Zealand’s commitment to climate action in the Pacific as Aotearoa stood with its neighbours in the fight against the climate crisis.
‘‘When we quadrupled our climate finance commitment to $1.3b last year, we specified that at least half of that money would go to the Pacific,’’ Shaw said. ‘‘Our Pacific neighbours are amongst the most at risk – from sea level rise, storms and warming oceans –all to make greater symptoms of the climate crisis. Yet, they bear very little responsibility for causing the climate crisis in the first place,’’ Shaw said.
Mahuta also announced a new investment of $8m from the climate finance commitment into Tonga’s Climate Change Fund, which was established to receive and direct investments towards mitigation and adaptation projects.
Potential investments would be identified and prioritised by Tonga itself, she said.
‘‘They included strengthening the resilience of public infrastructure such as water resources, flood management and climate resilient transport systems.
‘‘Enhancing coastal protection around Nuku’alofa and outer islands, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and strengthening the resilience of Tonga’s renewable energy infrastructure. Building community resilience to natural disasters.’’
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