April 2026: New Motu research suggests wealthy countries are unlikely to increase climate finance for developing economies unless the way the issue is framed shifts away from appeals to altruism.

The Motu Working Paper, developed with European University Institute and University of Zürich, finds that public support in advanced economies is more likely when international climate funding is linked to national interests, as well as global benefit.

Motu Policy Fellow Dr Catherine Leining says helping fund mitigation in emerging and developing economies is "in wealthy countries' own strategic interest", not only a matter of equity or climate responsibility.

The research identifies several framing approaches that could strengthen support, including shared climate risk, trade and clean technology opportunities, global stability and security, and the role of carbon markets in managing domestic emissions targets.

Despite this, current investment patterns remain highly uneven: developing economies hold around 75% of the lowest-cost emissions reduction opportunities to 2030, yet receive less than 20% of global clean energy investment. Without change, global warming is projected to reach around 2.8°C by 2100.

Motu Policy Fellow Dr Catherine Leining. Photo: Ebony Lamb/Motu.

April 2026: As at 15 April, the Malaghan Institute's ENABLE-2 clinical trial of a new CAR T-cell therapy has reached its midway point, with the 30th patient treated and the trial tracking towards its goal of 60 patients treated by the end of 2026.

Malaghan Institute Clinical Director Professor Robert Weinkove says the milestone is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the trial as it continues to ready the public system for delivering CAR T-cell therapies.

"With treatment of trial participants in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, clinicians and their teams across the country are gaining critical experience and capability in CAR T-cell delivery. We hope this will help New Zealand advance CAR T-cell therapies as a future standard of care."

ENABLE-2 got underway in July 2024 on the back of promising phase 1 trial results that suggest improved safety compared with leading commercial CAR T-cell therapies, while remaining highly effective for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. With automated manufacturing of patients' CAR T-cells by the Malaghan Institute's partner BioOra Limited, the phase 2 trial expanded to three sites in February 2025, increasing the pace at which patients could be enrolled and treated.

The ENABLE-2 team at Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Photo: Malaghan.