# Young Kiwis at COP31 Climate Summit

> Three young New Zealanders lead Pacific climate advocacy at COP31 in Türkiye.
- Title: Young Kiwis at COP31 Climate Summit · RNZ | Shortify
- Summary: Three young New Zealanders lead Pacific climate advocacy at COP31 in Türkiye. Three young Kiwi activists represent Pacific communities at COP31, pushing for…
- Keywords: cop31, aotearoa climate action network, ngāti manuhiri, indigenous climate advocacy, climate finance, sedimentation, caulerpa seaweed, pāuatahanui inlet, floods, youth climate activists, RNZ
- Source: RNZ — https://rnz.co.nz/news/environment_climate/2481758/the-young-kiwis-heading-to-the-world-s-biggest-climate-change-gathering
- Author: RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
- Published: 2026-11-09T17:27:44+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cop31, aotearoa climate action network, ngāti manuhiri, indigenous climate advocacy, climate finance, sedimentation, caulerpa seaweed, pāuatahanui inlet, floods, youth climate activists, politics, news
## 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
## Key takeaway

Three young Kiwi activists represent Pacific communities at COP31, pushing for climate finance and indigenous leadership amid global climate action.