2021 is a momentous year for climate change policy in New Zealand. The government has just announced a four-fold increase in climate finance to go to overseas communities most impacted by climate breakdown. This amounts to $1.3billion over four years! And right now, our government is in the process of finalising targets by which we hope to reduce our carbon emissions for the next 15 years. It’s important that we have our say. 

This announcement on climate finance follows the Big Hearts campaign, in which Anglican Movement with partners Oxfam, Christian World Service and others called for a boost to climate finance as part of a rising aid budget. Hundreds of Anglicans wrote to their local MPs, met with them, and signed petitions. Some of your messages even got blu-tacked to the Finance Minister’s office!  

Together with our partners Oxfam, Christian World Service and World Vision we kept pressure on for 18 months and we made a difference. Although our call for a boost to the aid budget was not successful, the four-fold increase to climate finance exceeded our ask. It means more resources for small-scale farmers adapting to rising sea-levels, safety nets for families facing cyclones, and funding for communities building clean energy across the Pacific and beyond: a real win for our global neighbours. 

We now have our next opportunity for advocacy. In the next six weeks, the government is consulting on the Emissions Reduction Plan. This is where the rubber hits the road and we as a country are committed to concrete actions. As a church, we had our say on the last stage of this process in March, when the Climate Commission gave advice to government and over 800 of us wrote submissions. Now it’s time to speak up again.  

We believe in the Biblical call to be guardians for God’s world. And as Bishop Justin says about climate advocacy: “This issue is not going away. We need to be people who keep showing up.”  We are inviting you to have your say on the government’s Emissions Reduction Plan, an important outline of climate change policies affecting the next 15 years and beyond. We will make submission forms and an explainer video for use in church services and small groups available for you to use between 31 October to 20 November. Register to participate and to receive the resources. 

When we speak up together it makes a difference. Our role in the Big Hearts campaign contributed to a huge boost in climate finance for our global neighbours. Let’s make our voice heard one more time as we keep turning up and advocating for care of creation and the poor and vulnerable. Register your church to be part of this action.