As Australians, we need to show our support for Pacific Island neighbours and their clear-cut and moral requests to ensure the ongoing survival of their nations.
Pacific Island leaders have made clear to the world what is required of its neighbours, including Australia, to ensure their ongoing survival: the survival of Pacific Island nations requires No New Coal Mines.
Australians cannot underestimate the importance of taking climate action, particularly in the Pacific. As the UN Secretary General has said, ‘if you can save Tuvalu, you can save the world’.
Australian political leaders need to realise that being a partner with our Pacific neighbours means truly listening and working with them, not bullying them. In fact, Australia cannot be a constructive leader in the region while its policymakers continue to undermine climate change efforts.
The Pacific Island leaders will now go to New York for the UN Climate Summit in September to seek the climate ambition that was in short supply in the region.
Will you add your name?
Dear Australian Political Leaders
We must heed the call of our Pacific Island neighbours:
1 // Stop expanding Australia’s coal industry, we need a moratorium on new coal mines.
2 // Australia needs to rule out using dodgy Kyoto credits to meet over half of Australia’s Paris Agreement Target. According to Australia Institute research, these controversial emissions credits are about eight times the size of fossil fuel emissions of all Pacific Island countries including New Zealand, combined.
3 // Australia must at least match its previous UN Green Climate Fund commitments, which will help Pacific Islands undertake climate action.