Developed countries need to step up in the fight against climate change.
That was the key message delivered y Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama as he addressed the 70th United Nations General Assembly.
Bainimarama says with Fiji taking a leadership role in the region in this fight, it was time larger developed nations also walked the talk.
In addressing the 70th General Assembly, Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimara again calling on World leaders to seriously look at the impact of climate change in the Pacific region.
Bainimarama calling on those who were at this meeting that the time to act is now.
“It is simply not acceptable for advanced economies to build high standard of living on the degradation of the earth and the seas and it is also not acceptable for major nations that are industrializing to assert that they need to degrade the earth, air and the seas in order to build their economies, just as the advanced countries did years ago. The emergency is now. The solution must be now. The time for excuses are over,” prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama said.
Voreqe Bainimarama – Prime Minister.
Bainimarama adds that Pacific Island Nations looks at this meeting for answers.
“The Suva Declaration calls for the 2015 Climate Change Agreement to limit global average temperature increase to less than 1.5 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial levels. It calls for the Paris agreement to be legally binding on all parties and for it to recognize loss and damage as a stand alone element. We also call for climate change adaptation measures to be 100% grant financed,” Bainimarama said.
The Prime Minister says that Fiji will continue to play its part in addressing climate change – even if its on a smaller scale.
“We have plans to move some 45 villages to higher ground and we have already started. We have committed to resettle people from other low lying South Pacific Island states that face the prospect of being swallowed up by the rising ocean and falling inexorably to oblivion. Should that happen the people of those island states would be refugees as desperate and lost as the hundred of thousands fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq,” he added.