Kiribati has made a plea for survival at the international climate change conference drawing to a close in Poland.
In an address to one of COP 19's high level meetings Kiribati's environment minister Tiarite Kwong repeated a call made earlier by Fiji for the Green Climate Fund to be operational by the end of next year.
The co-chairperson of the fund's board has told the conference that it is on track towards completing the final steps that will enable it to mobilise funding and start its operations.
But Mr Kwong says the delivery of international adaptation finance and resources is taking far too long.
"The Green Climate Fund needs to be operationised and resourced as soon as possible so it can start its operations by the end of 2014. Kiribati is very concerned at the current lack of ambition to reduce greenhouse gases."
Tiarite Kwong says in Kiribati climate change is already causing severe coastal erosion, displacement of villages as well as a decrease in the security of food and water.
