November 14, 2022
Smith says no fear, climate crisis real
A Māori climate change campaigner is rejecting suggestions he’s fearmongering over global warming.
Mike Smith, the chair of the Iwi Leaders climate change group, is in Egypt for the United Nations COP 27 climate change conference.
He’s been caucusing with Pacific and indigenous groups who are trying to raise awareness of the threat some island nations are set to disappear,
He says this impact is becoming all too clear, with devastating weather events around the world this year.
“China have experienced severe drought. Half of Pakistan has been flooded. There’s been deadly heatwaves killing tens of thousands in India. I’ll say that again – tens of thousands of people have died in India this year directly attributable to climate change. There’s been massive wildfires spread across Spain and California. Here in Africa, in East Africa, one of the worst droughts in decades is threatening millions of people with starvation,” Mr Smith says.
Meanwhile, Mr Smith has been appointed to lead a new Interim Ministerial Advisory Committee to develop a framework for Te Ao Māori responses to the climate crisis.
His co-chair is lawyer Dayle Takitimu.
Minister James Shaw says the Maori climate action platform was promised as part of the Emissions Reduction Plan and will help ensure whānau, hapū and iwi are at the forefront of the Government’s work to respond to climate change.