8 Dec 2015

NZ youth delegation hopeful of climate deal

7:29 am on 8 December 2015

The New Zealand Youth Delegation to the United Nations climate talks underway in Paris is hopeful an ambitious deal will be reached to reduce the impact of climate change.

Francisco Hernandez, James Young-Drew and Lisa McLaren outside Parliament, just before they left for Paris as part of the New Zealand Youth Delegation to the UN climate talks.

Francisco Hernandez, James Young-Drew and Lisa McLaren outside Parliament, just before they left for Paris as part of the New Zealand Youth Delegation to the UN climate talks. Photo: Veronika Meduna / RNZ

Over the weekend delegates approved a draft document laying out a range of options for ministers on what the long-term goal of the deal should be.

New Zealand Youth Delegation co-convenor Lisa McLaren said the talks were looking promising as the summit headed down to the nitty gritty this week, with ministers arriving to cement in an agreement.

Ms McLaren said attending the conference in Paris and curbing climate change was personal for her.

"I'm from a farm and I know from doing university studies what impact climate change will actually have on New Zealand, especially the agriculture industry and I think that's worth fighting for.

"We are going to see an increase in droughts on the East Coast and I am from an East Coast farm so that is quite personal to me. Climate change is happening, it is happening now but what we can do is limit the impacts that are going to happen. This global deal will help limit that so it's really, really important that we get an ambitious deal now to limit those impacts."

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