Young New Zealanders Call on New Zealand Government to future proof the Pacific and support 1.5 target at Paris Climate Talks

05 December 2015

Following breaking news that Australia has agreed to support a strong push for a 1.5 degree ambition target at the Paris Climate Talks, New Zealand Youth are calling for New Zealand to follow Australia’s lead and future proof the Pacific by supporting more ambitious global climate target. The current draft text has the target limit for temperature rises set at 2 degrees but a group of climate vulnerable countries including all Pacific island states are pushing for a more ambitious target of 1.5 degrees, which is being supported by an increasing number of developed countries including Germany and now Australia.

"Prime Minister Key doesn't want to be a climate leader, but he is missing the waka in this case. We are calling on him to step up, do the right thing and support a global temperature target of 1.5 degrees. For the Pacific anything higher spells disaster. Anything higher will see the physical disappearance of island nations. New Zealand touts itself as a friend to the Pacific, but friends don't sink friends. Friends don't set emission targets so low it almost guarantees your demise. We are calling out New Zealand and our Prime Minister, be a good friend, choose 1.5 degrees,” says Pacific-New Zealander Kya Lal, who is in Paris with the Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute and is speaking on behalf of the New Zealand Youth Delegation.

“New Zealand's current actions are a disservice and downright disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of Pacific New Zealanders, looking to our Prime minister for decisive and ambitious leadership. It is also downright disrespectful to New Zealand as a whole who pride themselves on having a long history punching above their weight and fighting for what is right. We urge Prime Minister Key to do what is right, future proof the pacific and fight for 1.5 degrees.”

ENDS

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