Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

EU aims to offer more climate change-adaptation help to Pacific countries

Posted at 08:37 on 29 July, 2008 UTC

The European Union says it wants to help Pacific Island nations to better adapt to climate change.

The ambassador of the EU delegation to Australia and New Zealand has been in Wellington to attend a climate conference on cost sharing after 2012 -- the year the Kyoto protocol ends.

Pacific nations aren’t considered large emitters of greenhouse gasses but the region’s major challenge is to adapt to climate change.

Bruno Julien says the EU has funded numerous projects in the region over the past two years to help with renewable energy, forestation and governance in environmental protection.

But Mr Julien says they want to do more.

“There’ll be a Pacific Forum European Union ministerial meeting in September in Brussels. The major topic will be climate change. If we can agree on a joint declaration then we will put some flesh on the bone and work on assessing the situation more in depth and trying to find out what we should do together.”

Bruno Julien says this could include more financial, technical, or decision-making support.