The interim president of the Green Party of Solomon Islands says striking the right balance between economic development and protecting the natural environment is essential for developing countries.
Ernest Kolly is one of two Solomon Islands delegates attending the 3rd Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Confederation running through the weekend in Wellington.
Climate change is top of the agenda at the congress which has drawn delegates from as far away as Iraq, Pakistan and Mongolia, to representatives from India, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
Ernest Kolly says Solomon Islands, as a developing country faced with climate change, has its own balance to strike in terms of development.
"We try to preserve our environment, on the other hand we also need economic development and so the government of the day is promoting more of the tourism industry in investing more in tourism instead of logging developments, etc."
