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Mr President
New Zealand welcomes the opportunity to address the UN Security Council on the important issues of energy, security and climate. We thank the United Kingdom for its initiative in hosting this debate, which is in our view a useful way of drawing further attention to these challenging issues. New Zealand also welcomes the United Kingdom’s concept paper. We do urgently need to focus the attention of the international community on some of the serious implications of climate change.
Governments are becoming more aware that the effects of climate change are much more than threats to the environment alone. They also threaten some of the most fundamental needs of our citizens: a safe place to live, access to water, to health, to food, and the ability to earn a living. When these needs are threatened, whole societies are at risk of instability. So it is entirely appropriate that we are discussing the security dimensions of climate change in this forum.
New Zealand would like to highlight two themes that are important for us, and for our Pacific region.
First, sustainable development, including responses to climate change, and energy security do need to be considered together. In this respect we are pleased that the Commission for Sustainable Development is bringing some of these themes together in its current cycle. In New Zealand we are developing our energy and climate change policies in tandem, including focusing on ways to maximise New Zealand’s energy derived from renewable sources and promoting diversity in our energy supply. This will help achieve a secure, low emissions energy supply. We recognise that the use of low emissions technologies and improving energy efficiency are fundamental to both industrialised and developing countries in reducing carbon emissions and maintaining a secure energy supply for the future.
Energy issues are also a major challenge for the Pacific. In recognition of this, Pacific Energy Ministers will be meeting at the end of April to discuss how the region might address these challenges, particularly in the renewable energy sector.
Mr President,
Second, many of the countries in our part of the world, the Pacific, are amongst the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. This is likely to exacerbate issues such as access to fresh water, and vulnerability to cyclones, drought, or flooding. The Mauritius Implementation Strategy speaks of the existential risks that climate change and sea level rise pose to small island developing states. It also notes the ongoing risks posed to the sustainable development of those nations, and the priority that should be given to adaptation. These risks exist alongside limitations on the capacity of small island developing states to respond - as highlighted by the recently completed Working Group II report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. With the risks posed to Pacific countries’ environments and their sustainable development, in short, we are already talking about the viability of societies.
There is an important role for other nations in providing assistance to Pacific and other small island developing states as well as other vulnerable countries in evaluating the impacts of and adapting to climate change. Assistance provided by the international community also needs to be sufficiently nuanced to allow for different risk and development circumstances and to the various national contexts. It should also support the objectives of recipient states in order to ensure local ownership and practical results. For example, the Government of Kiribati has made climate change adaptation a central priority and New Zealand is pleased to help support its adaptation programme.
Mr President,
While climate change presents daunting challenges, there are solutions. Above all, this debate is a timely reminder of the need for effective concerted international action within the United Nations framework. We need a process that brings the major emitters of greenhouse gases together in the UN to forge a truly global response to climate change.
Thank you.
