World Vision New Zealand advocacy aims to be a fire caught by the wind, spreading information about injustice and igniting desire for change.

Advocacy is essentially the process of raising awareness about an issue, pointing out gaps in responses to it and encouraging changes to be made to fill these gaps. It is about getting people fired up to make a difference.

Keeping informed about how children around the world are living, what is causing those conditions and what can be done about it can make a difference.

World Vision's commitment to assist those living in poverty means we must address climate change and the poverty it causes. From lobbying governments on climate change policy to helping those whose lands have been ravaged by environmental extremes: much of World Vision's work is addressing this crucial issue.

Read more about Climate change

December 17, 2009

World’s poor must be at centre of Copenhagen climate change negotiations: World Vision

As the Copenhagen summit draws to a close, World Vision, one of the world’s largest aid agencies, is reminding world leaders that negotiations are about how the world tackles poverty as much as they are about climate change, and the world’s poor must not be forgotten in any final agreements.

“Above economics, politics, bureaucracy – even above the environment – climate change is about human lives,” said World Vision spokesperson on climate change, Tim Costello, speaking from Copenhagen

“If ever there was a moment when the world’s leaders should rise above self-interest and act with true vision and compassion, it is now.”

World Vision works in 100 countries, and is witnessing the devastating effects of climate change on the poorest communities in the world.

“We are experiencing recurrent droughts and crops are failing more frequently,” according to the National Director of World Vision Ethiopia, Mrs Tenagne Lemma.

"In Indonesia, we are seeing an increased number of natural disasters related to more severe weather," said World Vision Indonesia National Director Trihadi Saptoadi. "As a humanitarian agency we must respond with immediate relief, but we are concerned that more of our resources may be diverted from the long term development work which we know is the best way to lift people out of poverty."

“What we’re calling ‘climate poverty’ is affecting every facet of World Vision’s work with the poor,” said Mr Costello.

“We’re seeing a convergence of climate change and global poverty that is reducing the ability of poor communities to grow crops, access water, and house and feed themselves.

“The poor are suffering, and will continue to suffer the most from climate change as they are the least able to protect themselves from its effects and are least able to recover from climatic disasters.”

World Vision supports the following calls from the least developed countries:

• As a group, developed countries should adopt an emissions reduction target of at least 45% below 1990 levels by 2020.

• In addition, they should commit at least US$150 billion per year of predictable and reliable public finance to adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing countries.

• At least US$50 billion of this should be earmarked for adaptation to already unavoidable impacts of climate change.

• Any overseas development aid directed to climate adaptation and mitigation should be new and additional to the 0.7% of Gross National Income pledged by donor countries before climate change emerged as a global emergency.

Mr Costello said Copenhagen represented an opportunity to completely reframe the way nations tackle global issues.

“I urge the leaders of the world’s developed countries to act boldly, to act globally, and make history by protecting the world’s poorest children from the worst effects of climate change.”

Climate change series: Pt1	Climate change series: Pt2	Climate change series: Pt3
Climate Change and Poverty Global Future: Nov09

Read more about climate change