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The global goal
Aotearoa New Zealand has obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement to provide financial, capability building, and technical transfer support for developing countries to meet their climate change goals.
Developed countries agreed in 2009 to meet a collective US $100 billion per annum climate finance goal to assist countries to meet their mitigation and adaptation efforts. Aotearoa New Zealand's climate finance commitment supports delivery to the global goal.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment 2022–2025
In October 2021 Aotearoa New Zealand committed to spend NZ $1.3 billion in grant-based climate finance between 2022 and 2025. This underlines the importance Aotearoa New Zealand attaches to global and regional efforts to work together to combat climate change.
At least half of this climate finance commitment will go to the Pacific region and at least 50 percent will target adaptation.
The allocation of this funding will be guided by the Aotearoa New Zealand International Climate Finance Strategy – Tuia te Waka a Kiwa.
The strategy was launched in August 2022.
- Supporting climate action in the Pacific(external link) – MEDIA RELEASE from Foreign Minister Mahuta and Climate Change Minister Shaw
- Launch of Aotearoa New Zealand’s International Climate Finance Strategy(external link) – SPEECH by Foreign Minister Mahuta, 19 August 2022
Case studies – climate finance in action
These case studies illustrate our climate change support in practice. The new 2022-2025 commitment is continuing and scaling up these kinds of activities.
Our climate commitment 2019–2022
Our new commitment builds on earlier climate finance, including the 2019–2022 commitment announced by Prime Minister Ardern at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018.
That commitment of NZ$300 million has been delivered through the International Development Cooperation (IDC) programme, half of that ($150 million) through a dedicated Climate Change Programme.
Key links
Our overall approach to international development
- Policy Statement - New Zealand's International Cooperation for Effective Sustainable Development ICESD [PDF, 5.4 MB]
- New Zealand's International Development Principles [PDF, 287 KB]
Our regional approach
Pacific and Development Climate Change Action Plan 2019–2022 [PDF, 641 KB]
The Climate Action Plan 2019-2022 launched in 2019 frames MFAT's approach to global and Pacific development cooperation based around:
- supporting an effective global response to climate change, and
- improving Pacific resilience.
Our overall approach to Pacific resilience is set out in these Cabinet papers:
Proactive Release – New Zealand’s Pacific Engagement: From Reset to Resilience [PDF, 2.5 MB]
New Zealand’s Pacific Engagement: Moving from COVID-19 Response to Recovery and Longer-term Resilience [PDF, 14 MB]
Our international response to climate change
Aotearoa New Zealand's focus on climate change applies across the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's work at a global, regional and national level. We are guided by Aotearoa New Zealand's International Climate Change Engagement Plan. We have three priorities: