Pacific Islands Forum leaders disagree over action against climate change Featured
Australia’s Scott Morrison, second right, with other leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu
16 August, 2019. A day-long meeting of Pacific Islands Forum leaders has ended with disagreement over action against climate change.
Tuvalu prime minister Enele Sopoaga at the Pacific Islands Forum Photo: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
The leaders of the 18-member countries and territories met for 12 hours in Tuvalu yesterday, with a communiqué and separate statement on climate change finally released after midnight.
The document, released after midnight, includes what's titled the 'Funafuti Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now'.
The main communiqué endorsed a declaration from the small island states calling for a commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, an immediate phase out of coal, and contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund.
But there was one qualification, which Tuvalu prime minister Enele Sopoaga said related to Australia.
"Australia is an important partner in the Forum, and Australia is an important part of the Forum family, likewise everybody else - New Zealand and other countries. So, we tried our best."
It's understood Australia had pushed for the wording on climate change to be watered down.
Mr Sopoaga took a subtle swipe at Australia, while praising New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's support of small island leaders during the negotiations.
"New Zealand was very constructive in its contribution and I think the prime minister was very contributing to a lot of things progressive, perhaps more than other people."
However, Australia did endorse the separate statement urging greater action on climate change.
Australian PM 'undermining trust in Pacific'
Meanwhile, Australia's Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, says Prime Minister Morrison is undermining vital relationships and trust in the Pacific.
Senator Wong said while Scott Morrison presides over an increase in Australia's emissions the so-called Pacific "step up" will falter.
She said she suspected the prime minister may have cut other programmes in the region to fund his AU$500million announcement and trust is being eroded.
"The reality is that Pacific Island nations, Pacific leaders have made it clear they don't trust the Morrison government when it comes to climate change. They don't trust them because the Morrison government has failed to act on climate change.
"They don't trust them because the Morrison government continues to deny the reality of climate change. And Pacific Island leaders live with their reality. They live with the reality. It's the biggest threat they face."
Scott Morrison at the Pacific Islands Forum Photo: RNZ / Yvette McCullough
