10 Sep 2015

NZ says Pacific should put climate pressure on China

5:38 pm on 10 September 2015

New Zealand's Prime Minister says the Pacific should be putting more pressure on China to address climate change.

John Key is attending the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea, where Australia and New Zealand have come under fire from Pacific nations for not doing enough to address the issue.

But Mr Key says his country is doing relatively well, and the Pacific should instead focus on other countries.

"We are 0.15 percent of world emissions. Our main point would be [that] China, India, the United States, some of these very big emitters have to play their part. That's the message we'll be taking to Paris and a lot of these countries have a relationship with China, so one of the points we'll be making is, you know, you know them well, you take aid from them, and it's a good chance to talk to them about their climate change position as well."

A major United Nations summit on climate change will be held in Paris in December.

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