During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, several Pacific island nations have called on Australia to take more significant steps in phasing out fossil fuel exports. The leaders of Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Fiji have supported a new report from the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, which highlights the substantial role that Australia, Canada, and the U.K. play in global emissions.
The report reveals that fossil fuels extracted in these three nations have accounted for 60% of emissions from such extraction across Commonwealth countries since 1990, despite representing only 6% of the Commonwealth's population. It also points out the stark imbalance in fossil fuel extraction and criticizes the contradiction between the climate pledges made by these countries and their efforts to expand fossil fuel production, particularly in Australia and Canada.
Pacific leaders have consistently warned about the dangers of continued reliance on fossil fuels, emphasizing the threat it poses to the existence of their low-lying island nations, which are vulnerable to rising sea levels. Tuvalu's Prime Minister has intensified calls for Australia to phase out fossil fuel production, describing current policies by major polluters as a potential 'death sentence' for his nation.
While Australia's Foreign Minister acknowledges the need to transition to a net-zero emissions economy, she argues that Australia cannot be solely responsible for emissions from coal and gas exported to other countries. She highlights that the majority of new coal-fired power plants are being constructed in developing nations like China.
Climate change is expected to be a significant focus of the summit, as more than half of the Commonwealth's members are small countries, including many island nations facing the threat of rising seas. The Pacific Island nations hosting the summit are urging global cooperation to combat climate change and reduce emissions to safeguard their vulnerable communities.
