Brown commented during his address at the 79th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok.

"The Blue Pacific has been grappling with catastrophic human-induced climate events for far too long so, as we seek to make an assessment today, the first step should always be to take a long, hard look at the state of wellbeing of our most vulnerable," Brown told the audience.

In his speech, Brown referred to the 2015 Paris Agreement as a pivotal plan designed to secure the survival of our planet.

However, he lamented the sluggish and unsatisfactory progress made since then, stating, "The path to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees is eluding our grasp. The need to build resilience into our strategies and responsive structures is of utmost importance."

Limited access to finance

As the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Brown also highlighted the significant obstacle many countries face in combating climate change: limited access to finance.

Brown argued that access to financial resources is crucial for accelerating greater ambition to reduce carbon emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable development.

"For many of us here today, access to finance remains a critical barrier to our endeavours to accelerate climate action," he stressed.

Brown further underscored that the Pacific's response to climate change is anchored in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, developed during the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting in Tuvalu in 2019. This long-term vision for the region aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Despite having one of the smallest carbon footprints globally, Pacific nations suffer the most from the effects of climate change due to their inherent vulnerabilities. Brown emphasised the urgent need for action and international cooperation to address this disparity.

The ESCAP, which commenced on Monday, will continue until Friday, serving as a platform for discussions and initiatives to address the Asia-Pacific region's social and economic challenges.

Sources

RNZ Pacific

Cook Island News

The allocation has been increased to $1.3 billion.

The Government says the increase in overseas aid means that New Zealand will now be paying its fair share towards global climate funding. It is part of a global commitment of $100b to help the developing world.

Some of the money will be used in partner projects around the world, as well as multilateral institutions like the Green Climate Fund which was set up under the auspices of the UN.

The Government is targeting about half the money towards climate mitigation efforts in the Pacific.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw says it will be administered as part of New Zealand's aid programme.

"The rest of it will go through a variety of projects." These projects will be prioritised on the basis of need.

He says New Zealand would be guided by Pacific Islands' governments on where the climate aid is best directed.

The Pacific Forum's secretary-general, Henry Puna, is heartened by the level of support New Zealand is providing.

"I'm totally ecstatic on behalf of the region at the New Zealand announcement," he says.

In his view, it augurs well as world leaders get ready for the UN's Climate Change Conference (called COP26) in Glasgow later this month.

At the same time, he says while he's delighted with New Zealand's increased contribution, "urgent ambitious climate action and finance are the two hinges open on a net zero, 1.5 degree future. But time is running out."

He says he hopes all developed countries will finally fulfill their Paris-made funding commitments, but have largely failed to meet.

Shaw hopes the aid announcement can help repair some of the frayed consensus around the Paris Agreement.

New Zealand committed to making finance of this sort available when it signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, he points out.

He agrees, however: "... the fact is that the developed world has not delivered on that commitment to collectively mobilise US$100-billion a year (in annual climate finance)."

"That has led to a suspicion and a breakdown in relationships between the wealthier countries of the world, of which New Zealand is one, and the other countries."

The Pacific Islands region's representatives would be going to COP26 in hopeful but resolute mode.

"But we're certainly going there with full determination to try and talk to developed countries to support the commitments that we already made in 2015 in Paris."

At present, climate change concerns within the Pacific Region have seen:

The Fijian prime minister asking the NZ for help to move 42 villages further inland, away from rising waves.

Tokelau and Kiribati having no further inland that they can go to, "They must adapt to the massive changes that are upon them," says Shaw.

The Cook Islands estimating about 25 percent of their annual budget is spent on climate-related costs.

The New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, says New Zealand could help more.

"Where all OECD countries target 0.7 percent of GDP, Zealand is about 0.27 percent - an annual shortfall of 1.2 billion dollars."

Source

• RNZ
• Stuff
• Image: Eco-Business

The "Faith and Science: Towards COP26" meeting brought together Christian leaders, including Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and representatives of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Jainism.

They shared how their faith traditions interpreted the emergency, many insisting religion and science must act together to save the planet.

"COP26 in Glasgow represents an urgent summons to provide effective responses to the unprecedented ecological crisis and the crisis of values that we are presently experiencing, and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations," the pope said.

For the religious leaders, care for the environment is a moral imperative to preserve the planet for future generations and to support communities most vulnerable to climate change.

The appeal urged all governments to adopt plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible with wealthier countries taking the lead.

"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."

Several participants stressed no nation could go it alone.

"If one nation sinks, we all sink," said Rajwant Singh, a Sikh leader from the United States.

"Water is the father, air is the teacher, and Earth is our common mother. Just as we don't dishonour our mother, father, and teacher - why would we dishonour these gifts from our creator?"

"I call on all young people, regardless of their religion, to be ready to fight against any action that damages the environment or increases the climate crisis," said Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

"We have inherited a garden; we must not leave a desert to our children," said the appeal signed by attendees, before handing it over to the head of the COP26 conference, Alok Sharma.

Bishop Frederick Shoo, president of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania, quoted Martin Luther in describing his vocation to plant trees on Mount Kilimanjaro that has earned him the nickname of the "tree bishop".

"Even if I knew I would die tomorrow, I would plant a tree today," Shoo said, paraphrasing the 16th-century Luther who broke away from the Catholic Church.

Sheikh Ahmed urged young Muslims and religious scholars to "carry out their religious duty" by taking responsibility for the crisis.

The Istanbul Patriarch Bartholomew called for continued dialogue as he signed the joint appeal alongside Patriarch Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church, who used his two-minute speech to call for repentance for all the damage already done.

"It shall be remembered that the current ecological situation has been caused, among other factors, by the desire of some to profit at the expense of others, as well as by the desire of unjust enrichment," Hilarion said.

Francis strongly supports the goals of the 2015 UN Paris accord to reduce global warming. He told young people at the weekend that theirs was "perhaps the last generation" to save the planet.

Sources

Aljazeera

Reuters