Skip to main content

Nuku’alofa, Tonga (AFP) – Low-lying Pacific state Tuvalu on Monday urged emissions-belching nations to stump up for the rising costs of climate damage, saying: “If you pollute, you should pay”.

“We really need to ensure that we continue to push for action from countries that are the most polluting,” climate minister Maina Talia told AFP on the sidelines of a Pacific islands summit.

“Polluter pays should be on the table.”

The Pacific Islands Forum — the region’s top summit — opened Monday in the Kingdom of Tonga, drawing global attention to the region’s climate plight.

“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.”

With an average height of less than three metres above sea level, the coral atolls of Tuvalu are severely threatened by even moderate rises in sea levels.

“We should not turn a blind eye to climate change, and the issue of rising seas,” Talia said.

“We should make sure that the most polluting countries should continue to support not just Tuvalu, but other low-lying countries.”

sft/arb/tym

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: wirestock | Freepik.com

Image of the day: November heatwave hits the Canary Islands, Spain
Image of the day: November heatwave hits the Canary Islands, SpainNews

Image of the day: November heatwave hits the Canary Islands, Spain

During the second weekend of November 2024, the Spanish Canary Islands were affected by a light haze and record-breaking temperatures for the month. La Aldea…
SourceSourceNovember 13, 2024 Full article
COP29: Guterres urges Global Action on loss and damage funding for vulnerable nations
COP29: Guterres urges Global Action on loss and damage funding for vulnerable nationsNews

COP29: Guterres urges Global Action on loss and damage funding for vulnerable nations

At the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on nations to urgently bolster financial support for a mechanism assisting climate-stricken…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 13, 2024 Full article
Research highlights gaps in EU’s sustainable finance framework
Research highlights gaps in EU’s sustainable finance frameworkNews

Research highlights gaps in EU’s sustainable finance framework

The EU’s sustainable finance framework urgently needs to expand. In its current form, the taxonomy will not meet the Paris Climate Agreement target of limiting…
SourceSourceNovember 13, 2024 Full article