Climate Change

Mr Tong is visiting New Zealand to promote a film called Anote's Ark which portrays the frightening climate change reality that his people face.

He said even if the most ambitious targets for reducing global carbon emissions are met Kiribati and other islands like Tuvalu and Tokelau could still be swamped by the sea.

This was the question posed during the recent meeting of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, New Zealand, CEPAC – the rest of the Pacific).

An urgent ethical challenge facing the worldwide human family today concerns economic development dependent upon fossil fuel based energy, especially coal.

According to the ADB’s latest Pacific Economic Monitor, inflation will remain unchanged at 2.5% and the GDP will grow from 2.8% to 3.5% in 2018.

However, the ADB also warned that Tonga ranked second highest country (behind Vanuatu) at risk from natural disasters.

Kaniva News reports Tonga’s location exposed it to a higher chance of natural disaster.

Its placing was also determined by its ability to cope with a disaster and to adapt in the aftermath.

The one day talks are aimed at leading business towards renewables and away from a carbon economy.

With more than a touch of showbiz panache, and among the shaking of hands and platitudes, the commitments started coming through.

The World Bank announced it would stop funding oil and gas exploration and extraction by 2019.

This drew a perfect smile from Sir Richard Branson, but there was more to come.

Two years after the Paris agreement France's president has called together the world's financial and political leaders to come up with action to meet its goals.

Pacific leaders have long called for more financial commitment and innovation to avoid catastrophe.

Emmanuel Macron's main focus for the One Planet Summit is to determine how the financial sector can better support climate action.

The changes necessary will not pay for themselves and innovation is needed.

The five countries are the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The company, which is owned by the Pacific Island countries, was set up after states saw a need for a mechanism to protect their people from increasing climate and seismic risks.

It provides a regional catastrophe insurance platform offering cover that can be paid out within 10 days of a triggered event, so governments have access to immediate liquidity for disaster response.

Photo: 350 Pacific Damage caused by tropical cyclone Amos 

Pacific Community Director General Dr. Colin Tukuitonga says climate change is beyond economic survival and it is now a moral issue world leaders must take a stand on.

He says Pope Francis reassured Pacific leaders of his support when they met him in Rome before the COP 23 talks in Bonn.

"Mostly people now are saying that clearly climate change is not a scientific discussion anymore it's actually a moral ethical one."

Speaking at the COP23 climate change conference in Germany, Mr Maamau said Kiribati like many countries was continuing to witness the detrimental impacts of climate change.

But he said Kiribati wanted to put aside the misleading and pessimistic scenario of a sinking/deserted nation, and would replace it with a desire to fight and/or adapt to climate change, for which it would need international help.

He said his government was launching an ambitious 20-year plan or the KV20, to build and develop the nation in the face of climate change.

The World Bank and the Fiji government released the study at the COP23 climate change talks in Bonn which are presided by Fiji.

A lead economist with the World Bank Stephane Hallegatte said the Climate Vulnerability Assessment used new methods to assess risk and to develop adaptation plans.

He said the study detailed a plan to build climate change resilience for Fiji which has been costed.

The sector was being encouraged to move away from carbon intensive investment.

The UN said finance for climate projects was flowing at a greater pace, with vibrant markets now for renewable energy, electric vehicles, green buildings and climate-smart agriculture.

The World Bank said funding needed to flow so people everywhere could benefit from low-carbon and climate resilient investments.

It hopes the UN can attract public, private, and philanthropic investors.