Pacific nations in climate stalemate

WELLINGTON: New Zealand stood accused of abandoning its Pacific island neighbours at the Paris climate talks yesterday over its refusal to back a move to limit global warming to 1.5ºC.

Ministers from 196 countries have agreed a draft climate change text, but are still wrangling over details such as whether to limit warming to 1.5ºC or 2ºC.

Australia joined with Pacific island nations over the weekend to call on world leaders to limit global temperature increase to 1.5ºC, but New Zealand Climate Change Issues Minister Tim Groser has refused to support the more ambitious global target.

Groser told Radio New Zealand yesterday that he did not want the talks to be bogged down over the issue.

“Having said that we will work with our Pacific friends to keep this alive, we do understand what drives this from their perspective,” he said.

“I just don’t want to see the conference fall over what is an aspirational goal.”

New Zealand’s opposition Green Party said the government was threatening to scupper a fair climate deal because it was “pandering to vested polluting interests.” – Xinhua

Picture: EPA GRIM MATTER: Indigenous representatives from around the world engage in a joint prayer session on the sidelines of the COP21 Climate Conference in Paris.