Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said climate activist Greta Thunberg's speech at the UN Climate Action summit last week was "powerful" - but her words needed a further reach than just those at the event.
Ms Ardern told TVNZ1's Breakfast today about how she spoke on behalf of New Zealand as one of the countries selected to give their perspective on progress they were making on climate change.
She took to the stage shortly after Thunberg gave a speech in which the 16-year-old Swede told world leaders at the summit "how dare you" .
The PM recognises it isn't easy to be thrown into the spotlight at Greta's age.
"I was sitting, I guess, in what you would call the UN green room watching Greta speak," Ms Ardern said. "Her words were powerful but one of the things that occurred to me was that she was speaking to those who were attending the climate action summit, so that in a way is self selecting and we need a group beyond that to hear what she and others are saying."
Ms Ardern added that New Zealand was progressing in several areas as "a world first" - particularly in agriculture.
"What we need to see internationally is a level playing field because, of course, the criticism we're getting is why are we forcing our country to move in certain areas when our competitors aren't?"
She also talked about the opposition party opposing what the Government was doing on climate change, and how more work needs to be done to bring people onboard with the issue.
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