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Pacific Island leaders sound alarm on climate crisis, call

for urgent action
© UNICEF/Sokhin | Remains of a home in Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati, that was destroyed by rising seas and storm surges, made worse by
climate change.

21 September 2023 UN Affairs

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Leaders from Pacific island nations collectively rang the alarm on
the relentless march of climate change, marked
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General risingcoverage
sea
 levels, extreme weather events and coastal erosion, wreaking
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havoc and threatening the very existence of their homelands.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Presidents of Kiribati,

Timor-Leste, Micronesia and Nauru called for accelerated climate action,
urging major emitters worldwide to commit to substantial reductions in
emissions by 2030.

These nations, while contributing negligibly to global emissions, highlighted

bold ambitions to curb their own carbon footprints, exemplified by
Micronesia’s pledge to reduce CO2 emissions from electricity generation by
over 65 per cent below 2000 levels.

The leaders also highlighted challenges ranging from poverty and quality
healthcare, to harnessing technology and combatting corruption.

With “resilience embedded in their DNA”, they urged global solidarity to

combat these pressing challenges and safeguard the wellbeing of their
people.

Committed to sustainable development

President Taneti Maamau of Kiribati

emphasized the importance of
rebuilding trust in multilateral
cooperation and diplomacy, especially
in a world facing geopolitical
tensions, economic disparities, and
unforeseen challenges like
pandemics and climate-related crises.

He reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda and outlined

programmes to implement SDGs at the national level.

“To ensure sustainability and ownership of our desired developmental goals,

we have engaged in extensive consultations at all levels,” he said.

President Maamau also highlighted that as part of its commitment to global

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peace, Kirbati is working closely with the UN to engage its police in
peacekeeping missions, and that it will promote empowerment of women
andWelcome
girls, astowell as people with disabilities, elders, unemployed, youth and
the United Nations
children.

“Enhancing prosperity is essential for sustaining peace and so the

government is dedicated to people-centric principles, placing citizens at the
centre of our decisions and services, and promoting transparent
governance,” he said.

Beware the climate-conflict nexus

President José Ramos-Horta of

Timor-Leste drew attention to the
impact of rising temperatures in
worsening conflicts and violence,
particularly in vulnerable States.

“We need a new outlook on the

climate and security nexus, which will
address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on
peace, security and ensure that the quest for energy transition does not
worsen the security situation in fragile countries,” he said.

President Ramos-Horta pointed out that overseas development assistance

(ODA) has declined continuously since the 2007 subprime crisis,
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

He highlighted that it would be a “leap forward” in international solidarity if

OECD countries allocated 1 percent of national GDPs to ODA.

“We would see positive effects on poverty rates, food security, access to
basic health services, education, electricity, drinking water, sanitation,
housing and social security, with multiplier effects on the diversification of
economies, especially in agriculture,” he explained.

We have bold ambitions

Wesley Simina President of the

Federated States of Micronesia
emphasized the Paris Agreement Live now:
as a critical tool for addressing the
climate crisis, although the current
commitments under the agreement
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were insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C, a target crucial for small
island nations like Micronesia.

He highlighted the importance of a “fast-acting mandatory approach”,

modelled after successful environmental agreements like the Montreal
Protocol, to cut methane emissions and other short-lived climate pollutants.

President Simina stressed the need for major emitters, both developed and
developing, to commit to substantial emission reductions by 2030, peaking
by 2025, in alignment with IPCC recommendations.

As for Micronesia, though it has negligible global emissions, “it has bold
ambitions”, he added:

“By 2030 we aim to reduce CO2 emissions from electricity generation by

more than 65 per cent below 2000 levels. By 2050 Micronesia will achieve
‘net zero’.”

Stand united for ‘the right things’

President Russ Joseph Kun of Nauru

also stressed the urgency of climate
action and transition from fossil fuels.

Highlighting the potential of deep

seabed minerals, particularly
polymetallic nodules, as a key
solution for that shift, he called on the
International Seabed Authority to regulate the responsible use of these
minerals to ensure its benefits for all humankind while protecting marine
ecosystems.

“As a Big Ocean State, a healthy productive and resilient ocean is a pillar
upon which our future rests,” President Kun said, urging international
support to ratify and implement the landmark BBNJ high seas treaty,
promote sustainable fisheries, and combat illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing.

President Kun reiterated the need for the global

Live now: community to work together
to create a safe and just world for all, leaving no country behind, adding: