No New Coal Mines

For the leaders of Pacific nations that lie just metres above sea level, climate change is a matter of life and death.

That's why His Excellency Anote Tong, former President of the Republic of Kiribati, wrote to world leaders ahead of the Paris climate summit, asking them to back a global moratorium on new coal mines and coal mine expansions.

"What we are talking about is survival, it's not about economic development... it's not politics, it's survival," - President Tong.

Several other Pacific Island nations immediately backed the President's call, calling for global moratorium on new coal mines, and for carbon emissions to be capped at a level that will stop global average temperatures rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius when they appeared before the United Nations.

The global moratorium on new coal mines has also received widespread support from key figures including Lord Nicholas Stern, Naomi Klein and Kumi Naidoo.

Since No New Coal Mines was launched, the United States, China and Indonesia have announced domestic moratoria on new coal mines.