New Zealand's commitment to a new Commonwealth fund to help
developing countries cope with climate change could be as
high as $50 million annually.
However, Prime Minister John Key today said it was more
likely to be about half of that.
Mr Key is attending the 53-nation Commonwealth leaders
meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.
At the summit developed countries in the Commonwealth, led by
Britain, backed an initiative to establish a Copenhagen
Launch Fund, starting in 2010 and building to $10 billion
annually by 2012.
The fund would help poor nations fight climate change and
global warming.
"That would require New Zealand to make a contribution in the
order of between $10 million and $50m so if you took a
mid-point maybe it's $25m-$30m from New Zealand's point of
view," Mr Key said on Radio New Zealand this morning.
Mr Key said funding for the global alliance on greenhouse gas
emissions from agriculture, an initiative he announced
earlier this year, could count towards New Zealand's
contribution. The alliance aims to find ways to reduce
harmful emissions from agriculture -- a big issue for many
developing countries.
"I would envisage there would be additional resources that
would have to go in to meet our obligations."
Nearly half of the Commonwealth's members are small island
states, and developing nations have been appealing for hefty
financial aid from rich governments to help them counter
climate change and reduce carbon pollution.
The fund would go towards helping the poorest countries adapt
to climate change with stronger sea and flood defences,
tackling deforestation and building new, cleaner energy
sources.
The summit also put its support behind Danish Prime Minister
Lars Lokke Rasmussen's efforts to secure wide attendance and
commitment from world leaders at the United Nations climate
talks in Copenhagen next month.
Mr Key again stated that he did not plan to attend the talks
but that could change if it became more likely a binding
agreement would be reached. "If the position changes I am not
opposed to getting on a plane."
The talks are not expected to result in the immediate
approval of a detailed climate treaty but the Commonwealth
climate declaration made clear its leaders expected any deal
reached in Copenhagen would be "operationally binding" and
lead quickly to a definitive treaty.
The deal the United Nations is aiming for in Copenhagen would
cover tougher emissions targets, climate financing for poorer
nations and transfer of clean-energy technology.
The climate treaty, expected to be adopted as a final text
next year, will replace the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012.
