United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, that world leaders can save the world from climate change crisis if it saves the Pacific, a region he described as a beacon of solidarity and strength, environmental stewardship, and peace.”
“The decisions world leaders take in the coming years will determine the fate, first of Pacific Islanders – but also everyone else. In other words: If we save the Pacific,” he said in a speech.
The UN leader praised the Pacific for leading the way in protecting the planet from climate crisis but he said the region needs financial support and the capabilities to combat the impacts of climate change.
Pacific island nations are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, where the environment is critical to their survival and livelihoods.
The region has long sought international cooperation to mitigate the effects of climate change with many of the islands being low-lying and threatened by sea surges and coastal erosions.
“This is a region of fearless seafarers, expert fishers, and deep ancestral knowledge of the ocean. But humanity is treating the sea like a sewer,” he added.
He said plastic pollution is threatening the marine life of the Pacific and greenhouse gases are causing ocean heating, acidification, and a dramatic and accelerating rise in sea levels.
Guterres also expressed support for the Pacific’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and vowed to help mobilize international resources for the Pacific Resilience Facility and to engage with all the relevant initiatives at the Pacific Island Forum.
He said the Pacific is taking leadership and world leaders should take their cue from them.