By Elishya Perera
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CWBN)_ New Zealand is not living up to its climate change commitments, when it comes boosting climate finance for developing and climate-vulnerable countries, a report by Oxfam revealed.
The report titled Standing with the Frontlines said, “New Zealand’s funding of climate action in developing countries is a moral, political and legal responsibility, given the country’s historic and ongoing contribution to climate change and its position as a high-income country with the capacity to act.”
The report ranked the island-nation in the Pacific Ocean at 21 out of 23 highly developed countries, in terms of climate finance provided per capita between 2017 and 2018.
The charitable organisation calculates New Zealand’s total contribution in climate finance should range between NZ$301.5m (US$21188m) and $540m (US$379.49m) per year. However, between 2017 and 2018, the island-nation donated just under NZ$51m per year in total, which amounts to NZ$10.60 (US$7.45) per capita per year, in climate finance.
While the highest-contributing countries per capita far outstrip New Zealand with contributions between US$40 and US$96 per person, even similar sized countries, such as Ireland and Denmark make contributions of US$14 and US$27 per person, respectively.
Claiming that New Zealand is “not a generous climate finance donor”, Alex Johnston, campaigns lead at Oxfam New Zealand, said, the island-nation’s funding of climate action overseas “is a crucial way that we can stand with those on the frontlines of climate change.”
“The way we deliver climate finance in the form of grants and with a large proportion towards adaptation sets us up to be a role model for other nations,” he said.
Last week, New Zealand declared a climate change emergency and committed to a carbon-neutral government by 2025. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern called climate action “one of the greatest challenges of our time” and said the country must act with urgency.
Accordingly, Johnston requested the New Zealand government to step up their climate finance contributions, “in the afterglow of a symbolic step to declare a climate change emergency”, in order to deliver the vital support to developing countries as promised.
