(Picture caption: Deputy Prime Minister Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Hon Barbara Edmonds and Hon James Shaw discuss climate change solutions with Tonga's Prime Minister Hon Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni during the Pacific Mission.)
Aotearoa New Zealand will boost and accelerate climate action across the Pacific, through a significant new partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC) supporting its Climate Change Flagship programme.
Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Hon Carmel Sepuloni made the $30 million announcement during the last leg of the Pacific Mission to Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga.
While at a coastal replanting project in Tonga, Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni mentioned that climate change had no bounds.
“It is a global threat that requires global and collective action,” Deputy Prime Minister Sepuloni says.
“We’re seeing, very clearly, the escalating impacts of climate change here and abroad, and it’s vital that we team up to accelerate action and build resilience, including in one of the world’s most vulnerable areas.
“The Government is resolutely focused and acting with urgency, helping pave the way for evidence-based climate action, and collaborating to turn the tide of climate change.”
New Zealand is in and of the Pacific, and this partnership with SPC underlines its Pacific-led approach to solving the challenges the Pacific region faces — the most pressing among them being climate change, she adds.
“This boost to SPC’s Climate Change Flagship will support it to expand and intensify its climate work and scale up its technical and scientific support to Pacific countries and territories — speeding up climate action across multiple sectors and making it easier for our Pacific partners to access urgently needed climate finance.
“We recognise that one of the best ways we can help increase our region’s overall resilience is by bolstering the Pacific agencies which are delivering to Pacific communities.
“These Pacific agencies offer local and indigenous-led solutions that are key to unlocking effective climate action in a changing environment.”
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni says the partnership with SPC will go some way to helping ensure people’s health, food security, biodiversity and livelihoods are protected.
“Aotearoa New Zealand supports the development priorities of our Pacific partners at all levels: on the ground, directly with Pacific governments, in the region, and in the world.
“This is how we can be stronger across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa — by joining our strengths together,” she says.