The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has empowered its Climate Commission to develop a climate resilience strategy for the whole Church over the next two years.

Elisiva Sunia moved the motion on climate resilience, seconded by the Rev Winston Tarere, speaking from her experience reducing disaster risks for communities using the CIVA(CIRA)-QGIS mapping systems.

Elisiva said that while climate change affects every part of our Church, its impacts are experienced differently in each community.

"A churchwide strategy will give us a shared direction, while still allowing Dioceses and Hui Amorangi to respond to their own local realities."  she said. 

Te Hīnota Whānui first identified the need for a churchwide climate strategy in a climate change motion passed back in 2016. That motion called for Pacific climate resilience investment, which has led to ongoing Anglican contributions to Fijian and Solomon Island projects.

But since then, the Diocese of Polynesia has completed a decade of work on disaster preparedness through its (CIVA) CIRA-GIS training programmes, now led by the Anglicare Polynesia team, while in Aotearoa New Zealand, Anglican Trusts have advanced on climate-responsive investments including fossil fuel divestment. With the late Rod Oram's help the Anglican General Synod Office now offsets all flights with investment in Pacific community-led climate resilience projects.

 As Synod considered the motion, Archbishop Don Tamihere stood to speak of the Church's support for excellent response led by marae in Tairāwhiti, calling on Archdeacon Zhane Tiopira Tāhau to share insights from the flood response work done by Omāhu marae in Hastings.

But while many Anglican-linked marae have well-developed response plans, at a parish level climate response planning is mixed.

Elisiva believes that Anglican churches need to take responsibility to care for their local church and community by strengthening climate resilience and reducing disaster risks too – as an essential part of mission and ministry.

"We all need to take part, but if the Climate Commission can lead this work it can help connect our experiences, resources and knowledge across the Church, so we strengthen one another rather than working in isolation..." she said.

Movers of the motion hope that the Climate Commission will be able to engage staff to work alongside agencies such as Anglicare Polynesia and Anglican Missions to help implement the churchwide strategy.

"Having dedicated people and resources behind the work will make a big difference in turning the strategy into ongoing action rather than just another motion." said Elisiva Sunia.

The climate resilience motion as passed this August tasks the Climate Commission to report on progress to the General Synod Standing Committee meeting in February 2027.