The 3rd Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Federation has heard how some governments in the region lack proactive policy to address the impacts of climate change.
Climate change was top of the agenda at the congress which ran through the weekend in Wellington.
Panel discussion at the Asia Pacific Greens Federation congress in Upper Hutt. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
It drew delegates from as far away as Iraq, Pakistan and Mongolia, to representatives from India, Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The International Relations spokesperson for the Green Union of Indonesia, Diana Ross Gultom, says climate change is generally understood in her country although there are few specific policies on it.
"Speaking of the impact, what came up through the policy level is more on how to compensate, like the loss of... if you fail to harvest or the loss if you cannot go to fishing spots like they used to, like looking at the stars, looking at the moon. So it failed."
Other delegates from countries like Japan and Korea lamented how their governments take a business-as-usual approach where climate concerns exist, always deferring to the needs of commercial interests and sectors like nuclear energy.
Green members from the Asia Pacific have resolved to work more together to promote climate change-smart policy.