13 Dec 2011

2020 too far off for emissions deal, says Niue Premier

10:08 pm on 13 December 2011

The premier of Niue Toke Talagi, says 2020 is too long to wait for some Pacific Island countries, before binding agreements force large countries to reduce carbon emissions.

Premier Talagi has just returned from the United Nations climate change talks in Durban and says he feels a little more optimistic than before the conference.

But he says powerful countries are still not moving fast enough to reduce carbon emissions and says it won't be until 2020 before they are forced to make real change.

"The point of having a binding agreement by 2020 is meaningless as far as we're concerned. The assessments that these people in America, and China, and India and some of the other countries are doing is in relation to their own situation, they don't care about anybody else around the world."

The premier of Niue Toke Talagi.