Fiji's Prime Minister says Pacific leaders and delegations did not travel halfway across the World to COP26 to watch the future of their island nations being sacrificed at the "altar of appeasement of the world's worst emitters."
Fijian Prime Minister, Hon Voreque Bainimarama (right) with Samoa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Fatumanava Luteru (left) at COP26 in Glasgow Photo: Supplied / SPREP
"The existence of our low-lying neighbours is not at the negotiating table, 1.5C is alive and it is possible," he said.
"Humanity doesn't lack the resources, technology, projects or innovative potential to achieve it, all that's missing is the courage to act, the courage to choose our grandchildren's future over shareholder greed and corporate carbon agreement interests."
Bainimarama served as President of COP23 and co-chair of the first UN Conference on Oceans.
Given the dual nature of the oceans and climate crises, he has remained a fierce advocate for global recognition of the oceans-climate nexus, a point he raised during his address.
"The science is clear, no city, no community and no ecosystem will be spared from the reckoning that lies beyond 1.5C degrees of warming, including our oceans the lungs of the planet," Bainimarama informed.
"We have fallen so far off course that only bold and courageous actions would suffice.
"2060 is too late; empty promises of mid-century emissions are not enough," he said.
The Fiji Prime Minister recalled that at COP21 in Paris, 1.5C was the compromise that Fiji struck alongside all the world's most climate vulnerable nations.
Frank Bainimarama. Photo: Fiji govt
"We knew then all the human tragedy that level of warming would mean, but it ensured at the very least that low lying island nations and communities would survive.
"Six years on, where has that goodwill gotten us?" he questioned.
"The world's collective climate commitments will see us fly past 1.5 by the end of decade.
"We are losing the race to net zero to a collision of carbon addicts who would rather fight for coal than for a future of good jobs and innovative industries created by climate ambition."
Bainimarama called out leaders who make pledges, but do not have a plan of implementation.
"They even seek to spin the science, but we cannot let them write out the urgency of accelerating action.
"Clean coal, sustainable natural gas, and ethical oil are all figments of the selfish mind.
"No matter what we call them, carbon emissions are wrecking the climate," he said.
Reset Fiji Tourism event in Glasgow Photo: supplied
"There's nothing clean, natural or ethical about it."
He called on all high emitting countries to half global emissions by 2030.
"All G20 nations who are prepared to make those commitments must demand the same from others, we have moral authority, you have a moral obligation.
"Together, our coalition of the willing can keep 1.5 alive, keep low-lying island nations above water, keep erratic and severe weather from devastating us all and keep the trust between nations so we can keep faith that our children and grandchildren will have a future.
"That includes making good on the promise of a $100 billion in climate finance."
Hon Frank Bainimarama , Prime Minister of Fiji, presented at the High-Level Segment for Heads of State and Government at COP26 Glasgow
