Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Pacific churches urge Rudd to push for climate deal

Posted at 21:57 on 01 December, 2009 UTC

The Pacific Conference of Churches is challenging the Australian Prime Minister to use his position to demand a fair and equitable climate change agreement for vulnerable countries.

The organisation’s climate change campaigns officer, Peter Emberson, says Kevin Rudd is currently at the forefront of the climate change debate.

He says, as chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Mr Rudd must use that position to push for the United Nations framework on climate change to be strengthened at next week’s conference in Copenhagen.

“And once that is done then all the rhetoric about ’we are committing millions and millions of dollars into our Pacific year of climate change’ and all the other initiatives that Australia appears to be leading the way, all well and good. But please we are imploring Mr Rudd to strengthen this international instrument.”

Peter Emberson says the Pacific Conference of Churches, which represents 27 churches in the region, is sending a 15-strong delegation to the UN conference.