Christian World Service has welcomed the New Zealand Government's announcement of a $1.3 billion commitment to finance climate-damage mitigating projects over the next four years, of which at least 50% will be invested in the Pacific.

The NZ Government's announcement comes ahead of the critical COP26 United Nations’ climate conference in Glasgow next month.

Government funds will support clean energy projects, stronger construction, protection from droughts, floods and new pests and projects responding to sea-level rise and storm surges. 

“We are greatly relieved to see this firm commitment from our government to do its fair share at the global level." said CWS National Director Murray Overton.

CWS affirms that directing more resources to the Pacific and other climate-affected nations to better protect their people from the harmful effects of climate change is an important step at this critical time. 

"The climate crisis is the biggest issue we face. The poorest countries did not create climate change and should not have to carry its cost.” 

Ahead of COP26, Christian World Service stands with its partner, the Pacific Conference of Churches who have stated their position ahead of COP26 in the strongest possible terms,

“We plead with the international community, gathered at COP26, to take speedy, responsible and shared action to safeguard, restore and heal our wounded humanity and the home entrusted to our stewardship."

 “We appeal to everyone on this planet to join us on this common journey, knowing well that what we can achieve depends not only on opportunities and resources, but also on hope, courage, solidarity and goodwill.”

In its August report, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed the unequivocal link of rising temperatures with human activity, and predicted a temperature rise across all regions of at least 1.5 degrees in the next few decades. Any further delay of climate damage mitigating action could make the situation unmanageable in many countries.

CWS has campaigned for a doubling of climate finance as part of a joint campaign entitled Big Hearts, Connected World, working alongside Anglican Advocacy in the Wellington Diocese, Oxfam and World Vision. As part of that campaign, the coalition of church and aid and development advocates called on the New Zealand Government to increase our nation's Official Development Assistance(ODA) from 0.27% to 0.7% of Gross National Income.  

Today following the Government announcement Murray Overton offered CWS' thanks to everyone who took part in the campaign: including those who signed the 'Big Hearts, Connected World' petition, wrote letters to parliamentarians or spoke to their MPs advocating for the campaign.

Oxfam, which has undertaken background research for the joint campaign, reports that NZ$800 million of the promised climate action finance is new and additional aid money. While at $325 million a year, it is at the lower end of what Oxfam calculated as New Zealand’s fair share of the US$100 billion goal, any support for the nations most affected is a step in the right direction.

To donate to Christian World Service climate action campaigns through their partners in the Pacific, visit the CWS donation page and enter "Pacific climate justice work" in the comments box for your gift. (Donations made to the PCC's work in Pacific climate action through CWS are tax deductible in Aotearoa New Zealand).