Pacific leaders at a meeting in Fiji, attended by ministers and climate negotiators from around 60 countries, stressed the urgent need for global action against the climate crisis. They warned residents of their low-lying islands that climate change has become a serious threat to their cultural identity and livelihoods.
Impacts of climate change on Pacific islands
Anne Rasmussen, senior climate negotiator from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said at the meeting: "When the tide goes down, you can really see the foundations of homes and the burial sites of your ancestors." She added that rising sea levels have rendered some lands uninhabitable.
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Pacific leaders view this meeting as an opportunity to highlight the increasing necessities faced by low-lying islands. Rasmussen noted: "This meeting helps us to draw attention to those who continue to ignore the impacts of this crisis. Here in the Pacific, we want to amplify the voices of vulnerable communities to the world."
Challenges facing island nations
Leaders attending the event will travel to Tuvalu, where scientists predict it may be one of the first countries to become uninhabitable due to rising sea levels. Kausea Natano, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, said at the UN General Assembly last month that rising sea levels are a "current reality" and emphasized that "the message from Tuvalu is clear: the world must act now with decisive action to preserve the future for generations to come."
Given that this assembly is taking place amid serious climate change challenges, Pacific leaders emphasized limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This limit was agreed upon at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015.
A recent UN report indicates that in the best-case scenarios, temperatures are likely to rise at least 1.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, the report still emphasizes that there is still a possibility to reduce temperatures.
Small island nations and developing countries are calling for cooperation from wealthy nations to help them adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.
A key issue that will be raised at this meeting is climate financing. Countries that have not significantly contributed to the temperature rise but are suffering the most from these changes are seeking more financial support from carbon-producing wealthy nations.
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