Prime Minister Christopher Luxon talks to the media during Chogm in Samoa. Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters was also on hand to answer questions. Photo / Pool
“I can only offer every encouragement for action, with unequivocal determination – to arrest rising temperatures, by cutting emissions, building resilience as far as possible to both the current and forecast impacts of climate change, and conserving and restoring nature – both on land and in the sea,” the King said in his powerful speech.
“If we do not, then inequalities across the Commonwealth and beyond will only be exacerbated, with the potential to fuel division and conflict.”
Despite this, Peters said it wasn’t the King’s calls that spurred New Zealand into action this weekend.
“It just happens to be a fact that we prepared the announcement ... 10 days ago to be announced here, so it wasn’t prompted by any event [at Chogm] – but prompted by our preparedness to get ready for what we committed ourselves to do.”
As his final Chogm wrapped up last night, Luxon announced the Government was tipping $20m into the Pacific Resilience Facility, which aims to encourage public and private sector spending in helping Pacific Island countries to prepare for natural disasters and become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Australia contributed $110m toward the scheme, with Saudi Arabia putting in $84m and the US stumping up $42m.
Winston Peters calls on other countries to follow New Zealand’s lead
Peters is calling on other countries to follow New Zealand’s lead and invest in the scheme.
“I’m sure we will get other countries coming on [to join the scheme],” he said, adding that the fact Saudi Arabia has joined the scheme is significant.
“It’s really quite huge,” he told media, in a joint stand-up with the Prime Minister before heading back to New Zealand.
Luxon added that with Australia and New Zealand coming into that fund, it will encourage other countries to come in to make contributions.
“We came here with a preparedness for a conference in which the issue of climate change and resilience were going to be raised – and we came prepared not just to talk, but to back it up with some support.”
Foreign Minister Winston Peters speaking to media during a trip to Apia, Samoa for Chogm. Photo / NewZealandMFA
Law and order was also a theme that ran through the Prime Minister’s three days on the ground in Samoa.
Luxon, alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as the Samoan and Fijian prime ministers, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and Sitiveni Rabuka, attended a thank-you event for the police involved in the running of Chogm.
“The way that you protect and serve and care about our people, and the way that you go about doing that job is absolutely incredible,” Luxon said to the Kiwi, Aussie, Samoan and Fijian police.
Many of them are involved in other policing initiatives across the wider Pacific.
Speaking to media earlier in the day, Luxon talked up the success of the Australia-led Pacific Policing Initiative – which brought together officers from both countries to aid neighbouring Island Countries.
And it’s had other benefits too, in terms of wider drug-related crime.
“You’ve seen issues to do with transnational crime; we’ve got major challenges with narcotics coming through the Pacific into Australia and New Zealand.”
