On Monday 1 November, New Zealand announced that it would quadruple its climate aid to other countries.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decided to increase her country’s aid to 930 million dollars (800 million euros) over four years. This decision puts New Zealand on a par with Great Britain in terms of per capita contributions. The aid will be paid first to the Pacific islands, which are suffering from the full force of the weather (storms, rising waters, floods and drought). The decision was partly prompted by James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change, who insisted that wealthy countries, including New Zealand, should help countries vulnerable to climate change.
A commitment to change
James Shaw said that New Zealand’s attitude over the past 30 years had been “woefully inadequate”, but the country was determined to make up for lost time with the aid and reduce greenhouse gases. The sum is still significant for a country of only five million people.
