During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, Pacific island nations called out Australia to take stronger action in phasing out fossil fuel exports. Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Fiji supported a new report from the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, pointing out the significant contribution of Australia, Canada, and the U.K. to global emissions.
The report highlighted that despite only representing 6% of the Commonwealth’s population, these three nations were responsible for 60% of emissions from fossil fuel extraction since 1990. Pacific leaders have long warned about the impact of fossil fuel reliance on their low-lying islands.
Tuvalu’s Prime Minister emphasized the urgency for Australia to phase out fossil fuel production, referring to it as a “death sentence” for his nation. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended Australia’s efforts to transition to net zero emissions, highlighting the global responsibility to combat rising sea levels and temperature increases.
With climate change taking center stage at the summit hosted by a Pacific Island for the first time, the urgency for action is clear. The Commonwealth’s small island nations, like Samoa, are among the most vulnerable to rising seas, making climate action imperative for their survival.
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