BACKGROUNDER
Our support for Pacific
climate action
Improving the Pacific’s resilience to climate change
Advocating for effective global climate action
Aotearoa New Zealand’s Pacific and Development
Climate Change Programme
An immediate and acute challenge
Pacific communities have identified climate change as the single greatest threat the Pacific faces.
Aotearoa New Zealand recognises that even if global emissions reduce drastically tomorrow, climate change presents immediate and acute dangers for our Pacific island neighbours. The communities and cities of the Pacific urgently require support to build their resilience.
Climate change threatens to undo development gains and prevent developing countries achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This challenge is only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aotearoa New Zealand's response
We stand with the Pacific in calling for urgent action in the face of ·the climate crisis.
Aotearoa New Zealand takes seriously its responsibilities, as a global citizen and as a Party to the Paris Agreement, to reduce the causes of climate change and the impacts of climate change.
Our commitment to provide climate finance to more vulnerable countries goes hand-in-hand with our own action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to impacts at home.
Delivering on our financial commitment 2019-2022
In 2018 Aotearoa New Zealand committed to spend at least $300 million on climate change development assistance from 2019 to 2022. Two-thirds of this was to be targeted for the Pacific, and at least half was to be focused on adaptation activities.
$150 million of the $300 million is being delivered through the Climate Change Programme - the focus of this story.
In 2021, Aotearoa New Zealand announced an increased climate finance commitment of $1.3 billion for 2022-2025, specifying that ·at least 50 percent will support Pacific Island countries and at least 50 percent will target adaptation. Our ongoing programme of climate action in the Pacific and beyond will continue much of the work from the Climate Change Programme.
Climate Change Programme
The Climate Change Programme is a broad-based programme focused on building climate resilience in the Pacific in two key ways:
Adaptation: supporting direct, tangible, on-the-ground transformation at a local level, boosting essential services in Pacific communities.
Enabling: developing national and regional responses, supporting the Pacific to strengthen resources and systems.
Climate change makes protecting water supplies a priority in Pacific communities. This bore sampling exercise was part of a multi-country training programme to support safe water supplies in atoll nations. From left: Areke Tiareti (Kiribati Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy), Amini Loco (SPC). Photo: SPC
Climate change makes protecting water supplies a priority in Pacific communities. This bore sampling exercise was part of a multi-country training programme to support safe water supplies in atoll nations. From left: Areke Tiareti (Kiribati Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy), Amini Loco (SPC). Photo: SPC
Exploring options with the community on Apolima Island, Samoa, as part of investigations for a possible rat eradication project, to support natural ecosystems under pressure from climate change. Photo: SPREP
Exploring options with the community on Apolima Island, Samoa, as part of investigations for a possible rat eradication project, to support natural ecosystems under pressure from climate change. Photo: SPREP
Safety first: Leisongi and Patricia, of Biosecurity Vanuatu's Plant Health team, taking careful steps in the introduction of a natural enemy to an invasive plant. The pressure on island ecosystems from such pests is increasing with climate change. Photo: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
Safety first: Leisongi and Patricia, of Biosecurity Vanuatu's Plant Health team, taking careful steps in the introduction of a natural enemy to an invasive plant. The pressure on island ecosystems from such pests is increasing with climate change. Photo: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
The Climate Change Programme works across seven areas:
- Public sector strengthening and institutional effectiveness
- Information for decision making
- Innovative financing tools
- Resilient ecosystems
- Water security
- Climate change related human mobility
- Driving greater action to reduce greenhouse emissions
The reality of these activities is seen in stories from across the Pacific, about communities and organisations working together to address climate change.
How we make a difference
Our goal is to make a difference in four areas.
1. Pacific resilience to climate change impacts is increased
Strong Pacific leadership and a focus on climate change in all decision-making, as well as improved ecosystems and water resource management.
EXAMPLE: In Kiribati we are supporting the government to build water facilities to protect against rainfall changes like the severe drought in 2022. This is part of a $13 million three-year programme with the regional scientific and technical teams in the Pacific Community (SPC), helping five atoll nations to plan for and manage water scarcity.
2. Pacific countries are leading their own climate change responses
The programme supports the Pacific to strengthen their response through improved planning and decision-making and increased access to climate finance.
EXAMPLE: In Fiji, communities and government agencies are teaming up to design and build infrastructure that will withstand climate change and disasters. The 'risk informed development' underlying this new road in Ba Province combines local knowledge with smart engineering to address historic issues and avoid new dangers. The UN Development Programme supports this work.
3: Greater global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The programme as a whole makes contributions to reducing emissions, Pacific advocacy for global action, and Pacific participation in climate forums and funds.
EXAMPLE: The Pacific Voice activity makes sure our regional partners' concerns and experiences are heard loud and clear on the global stage. A key part of this is a strong Pacific presence at the critical UN climate conferences, made visible in 2022 in the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion run by the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
4: Pacific countries are supported to avert, delay and prepare for climate change-related human mobility
The programme supports the development of local, national and regional responses to Pacific climate mobility. It invests in research on climate mobility to support informed decision-making and policymaking.
EXAMPLE: In late 2022 teams from Solomon Islands and Fiji shared their experiences of working with communities to manage the impacts of climate change in peaceful, collaborative and creative ways. This exchange was led by Transcend Oceania who work with Conciliation Resources to develop community-focused approaches that strengthen people's ability to deal confidently with climate change impacts.
For more information about our ongoing climate change development assistance, see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
For more information about Aotearoa New Zealand's international climate change programme, see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
For more information about efforts at home, including development of the Emissions Reduction Plan and National Adaptation Plan, see the Ministry for the Environment website.
Built with Shorthand