New Zealand has carved off a sizeable chunk of its foreign aid budget towards combating climate change, committing $NZ1.3 billion to support vulnerable communities.
The pledge, over four years, is being made in the run-up to November’s climate change conference in Glasgow, known as COP26.
Half of the commitment will go towards Pacific nations.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who travelled by boat to the tiny Pacific territory of Tokelau in her first term in office, said the funding would “assist lower income countries to protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure from the impacts of climate change”.
“I have seen and heard first-hand the impact of climate change in our region,” she said.
“We need to continue to step up our support for our Pacific family and neighbours who are on the front line of climate change and need our support most.”
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Ms Ardern is not heading to COP26 as New Zealand has hosting duties of the overlapping APEC leaders summit.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw will attend on her behalf, undertaking 14 days of quarantine on return to New Zealand.
The aid pledge matches a similar announcement from the United Kingdom on a per capita basis.
New Zealand is yet to finalise its emissions pledge for the conference.
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