From RNZ · RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa · · 1m 30s
Young Kiwis at COP31 Climate Summit
Three young New Zealanders lead Pacific climate advocacy at COP31 in Türkiye.
In brief
Three young New Zealanders lead Pacific climate advocacy at COP31 in Türkiye. Three young Kiwi activists represent Pacific communities at COP31, pushing for climate finance and indigenous leadership amid global climate action. Originally reported by RNZ.
Pacific climate activists at COP31
Three young Kiwi activists are among 80,000 heading to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
“Pacific communities must be at the forefront of global climate change action”
Climate minister Simon Watts attends
Caretaker climate minister Simon Watts will attend COP31 from 15 to 18 November 2026.
Ngāti Manuhiri's climate challenges
Ngāti Manuhiri faces sedimentation and invasive Caulerpa seaweed in the Hauraki Gulf.
“One of the biggest issues I think we're facing across Tāmaki and Hauraki Gulf is the sedimentation that's happening”
Indigenous climate network
Activists form an indigenous network to connect Pacific communities at COP31.
“We have established an indigenous network online with groups, mobs from Australia, the Pacific region”
Pacific climate priorities
Pacific communities demand stable climate finance and recognition of their climate impacts.
“We are there to represent those who are unjustly living through the worst impacts of climate change”
Aotearoa Climate Action Network
Aigagalefili Fepulea'i-Tapua'i leads the Aotearoa Climate Action Network as youth climate advocate.
“The Pacific is not just a nice to have”
Pāuatahanui flood risks
Aditi Tiwari faces flooding risks near her home in Pāuatahanui Inlet.
“Just a kilometre away from my house is the Pāuatahanui Inlet”
Community tree planting
Aditi Tiwari helped plant 10,000 native trees along Pāuatahanui Inlet shoreline.
“We see how the community suffers from every single flood or every single season of rising sea levels”
COP31 climate finance push
Pacific advocates push for stable climate finance at COP31.
“We're not victims - we are resilient people”
Climate finance challenges
Climate financing is currently treated as charity, not recognizing Pacific resilience.
“We're not victims - we are resilient people”
COP31 timeline
COP31 runs until 20 November 2026 with a cover decision expected in final days.
Climate finance solution
Pacific advocates demand climate finance that recognizes Pacific resilience and avoids treating it as charity.
“Families can't afford to constantly have to recover”
The key point
Three young Kiwi activists represent Pacific communities at COP31, pushing for climate finance and indigenous leadership amid global climate action.
