The aid agency’s National Director, Grant Bayldon, says in challenging geopolitical times, it is vital the government invests in the Pacific region to ensure it is strong and thriving.

He says Pacific nations are among the most vulnerable to climate shocks, and New Zealand needs to stand in solidarity with our neighbours.

“These are tough economic times for New Zealand and many other countries, but climate finance is a cornerstone of effective development, ensuring that communities can respond to climate shocks, build resilience, and secure the rights of future generations.

“New Zealand has a leadership role to play and that requires us to step up and support our Pacific neighbours in the face of a changing climate, growing poverty, and changing geo-political alliances.

Bayldon says it’s more important than ever before to invest in the children of the Pacific and to support Pacific communities with education, nutrition, healthcare and the tools to combat climate change.

“Half of the Pacific’s population are children. We know that every dollar invested in child-related programming yields exceptional returns, which will help to make Pacific communities stronger.

“That’s a fantastic return on investment for our region and for New Zealanders who will partner with, and deliver many of these projects,” Bayldon says.

He says this year’s Budget is particularly important because New Zealand will need to decide how much it will invest in climate finance under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.

New Zealand committed NZ$1.3 billion in climate finance between 2022 – 2025, but at last year’s COP29 climate conference agreed that developed nations together should contribute more (at least US$300 billion per year) in future to help low-income countries transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change.

Bayldon says it’s incumbent on the Government to increase its climate finance commitment in Budget ’25.

“We know that climate change is the great existential crisis of our time, and it is without doubt a humanitarian crisis in which children bear the brunt of suffering. Every cyclone, every flood, and every village lost to rising sea levels means more children going without food, a home, and an education.

“Our commitment to climate finance will help Pacific children and communities to become more resilient in the face of a changing climate,” he says.