Emissions-belching nations were challenged to stump up for climate-related damage as a key Pacific islands summit opened yesterday, with low-lying Tuvalu declaring: “If you pollute, you should pay.”
The Pacific Islands Forum got underway in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, with leaders hoping to draw global attention to the region’s worsening climate plight.
“We really need to ensure that we continue to push for action from countries that are the most polluting,” Tuvalu Climate Minister Maina Talia told AFP on the sidelines of the summit.
“Polluter pays should be on the table.”
Pacific leaders will mount a renewed push later this week for a climate adaptation fund, an idea that largely hinges on financial contributions from foreign nations. They will also push to speed the transition away from oil, gas and other polluting fuel sources.
“We cannot address climate change without addressing the root cause, which is the fossil fuel industry,” Talia said. “It’s disaster after disaster, and we are losing the capacity to rebuild, to withstand another cyclone or another flood,” he added.
