Small islands use big platform to warn of climate change
6 years, 5 months ago

Small islands use big platform to warn of climate change

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — On the map, their homes are tiny specks in a vast sea of blue, rarely in the headlines and far removed from the centers of power. Speaking shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump — whose fiery speech made no mention of climate change — Danny Faure told the U.N. General Assembly this week that for his country, the Seychelles, it’s already a daily reality. “Decades ago, small island developing states warned the world of the risks of climate change, and those were once theoretical threats,” said Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, a sprawling series of atolls in the Pacific Ocean thousands of miles north of Australia. “Imagine what that means for a country in which the annual budget of the state is already limited.” Medina said his Caribbean country backs calls for an international fund to compensate poor nations for the loss and damage caused by climate change. “This fund will help protect the valuable lives of millions of human beings, bring peace of mind to their homes, allow them to have a future without the permanent uncertainty of feeling threatened every time they see the rain coming.” His words were echoed Thursday by Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, who urged rich countries to stick to their pledges under the Paris accord, which includes include financial aid for vulnerable nations to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change.

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History of this topic

Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again
2 months ago

Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again

Associated Press  

▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump’s return to Washington WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies. Share Share Copy Link copied Email …

Trump signs executive order directing U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again
2 months ago

Trump signs executive order directing U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again

The Hindu  

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies. Trump’s order says the Paris accord is among a number of international agreements that don’t reflect U.S. values and …

A landmark climate change case will open at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas
3 months, 2 weeks ago

A landmark climate change case will open at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE — The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear …

Citizenship sales, land creation and legal battles: How small islands are confronting existential climate threat
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Citizenship sales, land creation and legal battles: How small islands are confronting existential climate threat

BBC  

Citizenship sales, land creation and legal battles: How small islands are confronting existential climate threat Getty Images The Pacific Island of Tuvalu is grappling with the reality that much of its land mass may no longer lie above sea level by mid-century From erecting seawalls to selling citizenship, vulnerable small islands are taking sometimes drastic measures to protect themselves from …

COP29: Island nations worried after Trump victory over America’s support for Paris Agreement
4 months, 1 week ago

COP29: Island nations worried after Trump victory over America’s support for Paris Agreement

Firstpost  

Dr Pa’oleilei Luteru, chair of the Alliance of Small Island States said that climate change poses temporary destruction in most places but for small island nations, it is a question of survival The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections has brought worry to small island nations who believe that his pledge to leave the Paris Climate Agreement …

Mixed reaction from US Pacific Islanders to Trump victory
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Mixed reaction from US Pacific Islanders to Trump victory

ABC  

There's excitement among American Pacific Islanders who voted for president-elect Donald Trump. With the Climate Crisis being the top priority for Pacific Island nations, there are concerns that US president-elect Donald Trump will disengage from funding climate action programmes in the region. That changed at last month's Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting in Samoa when the Pacific Academy of Sciences …

Climate-threatened Pacific Islands criticize Australia at Commonwealth meeting
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Climate-threatened Pacific Islands criticize Australia at Commonwealth meeting

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Several Pacific island nations singled …

Climate world still has no solution to Trump 2.0
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Climate world still has no solution to Trump 2.0

Politico  

Diplomats, ministers, green advocates and businesses alike avoided engaging publicly with the prospects of a Trump win during nearly a week of events at the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week, both held in New York as a catastrophic hurricane was bearing down on Florida and the Southeast. “My expectation is, certainly if Trump wins, that he’ll pull us …

UN chief issues climate SOS, warns of ‘unimaginable’ catastrophe
6 months, 3 weeks ago

UN chief issues climate SOS, warns of ‘unimaginable’ catastrophe

Al Jazeera  

Speaking at a meeting of Pacific Island leaders in Tonga, Antonio Guterres warned the region was ‘uniquely exposed’. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued his latest climate SOS, calling on countries to “Save Our Seas” as he warned of a crisis of an “unimaginable scale” caused by greenhouse gases and rising sea levels. And the sea is taking the …

Pacific Island Countries Blindsided in Climate Conference
1 year, 1 month ago

Pacific Island Countries Blindsided in Climate Conference

The Diplomat  

The gridlock and the meager offerings from COP28, this year’s U.N. climate change conference, left many leaders from the Pacific Island states – some of the countries most at risk from climate change and rising sea levels – frustrated. The need for consensus is often a flashpoint of anger directed toward the annual climate meetings, with many onlookers deriding a …

Biden tells Pacific islands leaders that he hears their warnings about climate change and will act
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden tells Pacific islands leaders that he hears their warnings about climate change and will act

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday told leaders from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum that he has heard their warnings about the impact of climate change on their region and that his administration is committed to helping them meet the challenge. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region …

In the Face of Climate Change, the Pacific Leads Boldly
2 years ago

In the Face of Climate Change, the Pacific Leads Boldly

The Diplomat  

Several months after The Diplomat Magazine’s first issue, the looming COP21 climate talks promised a watershed in global action on climate change. In concluding, he wrote, “The future of global climate lies in what development paths this region takes going forward.” In that vein, in Issue 36, Neil Bhatiya took stock of the political climate in the lead-up to COP23, …

Climate change gets ‘highest priority’ in US, Pacific agreement
2 years, 5 months ago

Climate change gets ‘highest priority’ in US, Pacific agreement

Al Jazeera  

New partnership deal signed by 14 nations follows historic summit at the White House and comes as China extends influence in the region. The United States and Pacific island nations have signed up to a new era of cooperation, making climate change the “highest priority” and promising to work together to ensure a peaceful region where “democracy is allowed to …

Biden looks to win over Pacific Island leaders at summit
2 years, 5 months ago

Biden looks to win over Pacific Island leaders at summit

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Joe Biden is …

Marshall Islands head: We must tame ‘climate change monster’
2 years, 6 months ago

Marshall Islands head: We must tame ‘climate change monster’

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — It was 31 years ago when the Marshall Islands’ first president, Amata Kabua, appeared before the U.N. General Assembly to sound the alarm over global warming. “Today, we renew our call to the world to declare total war on this century’s greatest challenge — the climate change monster,” he said. He pointed to the Marshall Islands’ carbon …

Pacific leaders to declare 'climate emergency' in PIF statement, praise Australia's move to lift emissions reduction target
2 years, 8 months ago

Pacific leaders to declare 'climate emergency' in PIF statement, praise Australia's move to lift emissions reduction target

ABC  

Australia looks set to sign up to a joint statement from Pacific Islands Forum leaders that is expected to declare a "climate emergency" and calls for rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming. Key points: The PIF communique repeatedly calls for accelerated and drastic action to reduce emissions Anthony Albanese says Pacific leaders praised the …

Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting
2 years, 8 months ago

Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting

Associated Press  

KIGALI, Rwanda — Leaders of Commonwealth nations are calling for increased climate action at a meeting in Rwanda this week, ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in the seaside resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt later this year. Commonwealth governments must submit their emission reduction targets by Sept. 23, he said, “including their long-term strategies.” Sharma noted …

‘We are in danger now’: Vanuatu declares climate emergency
2 years, 9 months ago

‘We are in danger now’: Vanuatu declares climate emergency

Al Jazeera  

Prime Minister Bob Loughman says using the term ’emergency’ is a way of signalling the need for ‘responsible nations to match action to the size and urgency of the crisis’. Vanuatu’s parliament has declared a climate emergency with the low-lying island nation’s prime minister flagging a $1.2bn cost to cushion global warming’s impacts on his tiny Pacific country. “The use …

Postcards from the frontlines of climate change
2 years, 10 months ago

Postcards from the frontlines of climate change

ABC  

Tok Pisin • 中文版 • Indonesian Australia has some 16 Pacific Island neighbours — some with a landmass a millionth our size — who unanimously declare climate change the "single greatest threat" to the region. Climate Action Network project manager Ralph Spring in 2022: "The mentality here is we know it's going to happen sooner or later — we're going …

The future of island states and poor countries in the face of climate change
3 years, 4 months ago

The future of island states and poor countries in the face of climate change

China Daily  

Delegates from 195 countries signed the most important Memorandum of Understanding in world history on December 12, 2015 in Paris. It is a fateful phenomenon that global climate change, a catastrophe created by rich countries against nature, is now affecting island states and poor countries more powerfully. However, many developed countries are still emitting greenhouse gases in quantitative quantities and …

The Latest: EU executive says COP26 agreement a good start
3 years, 4 months ago

The Latest: EU executive says COP26 agreement a good start

Associated Press  

GLASGOW, Scotland — The latest on the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow: BRUSSELS — The head of the European Union’s executive arm says Saturday’s agreement at the U.N. climate conference “gives us confidence that we can provide a safe and prosperous space for humanity on this planet,” but warns that “there is still hard work ahead.” Ursula von der Leyen …

Climate change could erase the Pacific islands. Who will defend them at U.N. summit?
3 years, 4 months ago

Climate change could erase the Pacific islands. Who will defend them at U.N. summit?

LA Times  

Just days until the start of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, here is what passed for good news for Fiji’s small delegation: President Biden hadn’t refused to meet with them. “These things fall in place on the day.” For small nations like Fiji and other Pacific islands, scoring in-person meetings with the leaders of the world’s wealthiest …

Small island nations threatened by climate change seek voice in U.N. negotiations
3 years, 4 months ago

Small island nations threatened by climate change seek voice in U.N. negotiations

NPR  

Small island nations threatened by climate change seek voice in U.N. negotiations DAVID FOLKENFLIK, HOST: World leaders are preparing for the major U.N. climate conference, COP26, that starts in Glasgow later this month. She's an adviser to the Alliance of Small Island States and the deputy head of the delegation from Belize that's heading to the Glasgow conference. FOLKENFLIK: How …

President Joe Biden promises Pacific Islands Forum US will 'dramatically' cut emissions
3 years, 7 months ago

President Joe Biden promises Pacific Islands Forum US will 'dramatically' cut emissions

ABC  

US President Joe Biden has told Pacific Island leaders that the United States will "dramatically" cut emissions this decade to help stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Key points: Mr Biden underscored US support for Pacific Island nations, promising to take a lead in the climate change crisis His speech was the first time a US president has …

For US President Joe Biden, the long road of climate action begins now
4 years, 2 months ago

For US President Joe Biden, the long road of climate action begins now

Live Mint  

Ultimately, incoming US President Joe Biden was true to his word. “I warmly welcome Joe Biden’s steps for the USA to re-enter the Paris Agreement, the global roadmap to tackle the climate emergency. “So rejoining the Paris Agreement is really the floor, not the ceiling for the Biden administration on climate, and I think we are very hopeful and it’s …

World leaders welcome US return to the Paris climate accord
4 years, 2 months ago

World leaders welcome US return to the Paris climate accord

Al Jazeera  

Joe Biden reverses Trump’s decision to withdraw the US – the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter – from the climate change accord. World leaders and diplomats have welcomed newly elected US President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin the 2015 Paris agreement, with the new administration likely to pursue a more ambitious environmental agenda, including global warming. “A cry that can’t …

World leaders use their first messages to Biden to draw attention to climate crisis
4 years, 4 months ago

World leaders use their first messages to Biden to draw attention to climate crisis

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, …

Climate change is likely to be the best way for Boris Johnson to connect with the Biden administration
4 years, 4 months ago

Climate change is likely to be the best way for Boris Johnson to connect with the Biden administration

The Telegraph  

Climate change could prove the Government’s best in-road to the new Biden administration, and help dispel the incoming president’s impression that Boris Johnson is a Trump “clone”. Donald Trump may have sung the prime minister’s praises during his presidency, but on climate change in particular, the two have never seen eye-to-eye. Mr Trump pulled the US out of the Paris …

Paris Accord | A race against the clock to keep the planet cool
4 years, 4 months ago

Paris Accord | A race against the clock to keep the planet cool

The Hindu  

The U.S. could become the leader in the world’s quest to avert dangerous climate change under a Joe Biden presidency, marking a return to global cooperation and reversing President Donald Trump’s isolationist rejection of efforts to cut carbon emissions. On November 4, a year after serving notice, and three years after expressing its intent, the U.S., under Mr. Trump, formally …

‘I believe we are too late’: Rod Stewart says planet cannot be saved from climate change and lets rip on Trump
4 years, 5 months ago

‘I believe we are too late’: Rod Stewart says planet cannot be saved from climate change and lets rip on Trump

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rod Stewart has dubbed Donald Trump that “p**** in the White House" for pulling out …

‘We made the ocean our home’: The islands fighting climate change
4 years, 6 months ago

‘We made the ocean our home’: The islands fighting climate change

Al Jazeera  

How a culture and history of resilience is inspiring Pacific islanders in their fight against cyclones and rising seas. Pacific rebuilding Meanwhile, a salutary tale comes from the most unlikely of places – a nation in the teeth of the worst effects of climate change, the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where cyclones and rising seas ravage ever-decreasing habitable …

Pacific leaders urge the world not to accept the 'living nightmare' of climate change
5 years, 5 months ago

Pacific leaders urge the world not to accept the 'living nightmare' of climate change

ABC  

Pacific leaders have sought to remind the world what is at stake for the most vulnerable, amid warnings not enough is being done to stave off the most damaging impacts of climate change. Key points: World leaders are meeting in New York for a UN Climate Action Summit Fiji's Frank Bainimarama said climate change was a "living nightmare" for island …

‘Running out of time’: Experts warn against rising sea levels
5 years, 6 months ago

‘Running out of time’: Experts warn against rising sea levels

Al Jazeera  

Call for more aggressive action and funding for small islands, coastal cities in Asia-Pacific as sea levels rise. Earlier, Ovais Sarmad, the UN Climate Change deputy executive secretary, described the impacts of climate change around the world as “devastating” and said that “there is urgency” in addressing them. “As much as possible, we must try to adapt and mitigate in …

How to save a sinking island nation
5 years, 7 months ago

How to save a sinking island nation

BBC  

How to save a sinking island nation Getty Images Half of households have already been affected by sea level rise on Kiritimati Weather-related events are estimated to displace 143 million people by 2050 – but rising seas are already threatening tiny tropical nations. Rising sea levels also pose challenges to the storage of nuclear waste on small island states – …

Combat climate change by taxing carbon instead of salaries, UN chief urges
5 years, 10 months ago

Combat climate change by taxing carbon instead of salaries, UN chief urges

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Governments around the world should tax carbon emissions instead of people’s salaries to limit the …

We're losing the climate change battle, heading towards tragedy: UN Secy General
5 years, 10 months ago

We're losing the climate change battle, heading towards tragedy: UN Secy General

Firstpost  

In the race against climate change, we need more plans and action, not just words and speeches. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls it the defining issue of our time: climate change is moving to the centre stage at the United Nations, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. “Climate change is still running faster than we are, and …

UN gears up for major climate action effort starting with Pacific islands next week
5 years, 10 months ago

UN gears up for major climate action effort starting with Pacific islands next week

Firstpost  

UN’s climate change push starts with visits to the Pacific islands, which are threatening to disappear due to sea level rise. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls it the defining issue of our time: climate change is moving to the center stage at the United Nations, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. “We hope that the secretary-general will …

'Please do not kill us': COP24 climate talks 'failing' and threatening survival of Maldives, leader warns
6 years, 3 months ago

'Please do not kill us': COP24 climate talks 'failing' and threatening survival of Maldives, leader warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The failure of climate talks to produce meaningful results is threatening the very survival of …

As Trump questions global warming, UN says: US gov’t won’t
6 years, 3 months ago

As Trump questions global warming, UN says: US gov’t won’t

Associated Press  

GENEVA — A top U.N. scientist on Thursday shrugged off an online quip from U.S. President Donald Trump that questioned global warming, saying a U.S. government report will show the “fundamental impacts of climate change on the U.S. continent.” Officials at the World Meteorological Organization also said environmentally minded efforts by the state of California, in parts of the financial …

Australia signs declaration on Pacific climate 'threat', islands call on US to return to Paris deal
6 years, 6 months ago

Australia signs declaration on Pacific climate 'threat', islands call on US to return to Paris deal

ABC  

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific nations have signed a declaration highlighting climate change as "the single greatest threat" to Pacific people, while island nations called on the United States to return to the Paris agreement. Key points: The declaration expands the idea of regional security to include environmental issues It specifically names climate change as the region's "single greatest threat" …

Donald Trump's climate change stance under fire from world leaders as Theresa May keeps 'pact of silence'
7 years, 2 months ago

Donald Trump's climate change stance under fire from world leaders as Theresa May keeps 'pact of silence'

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders – but not, apparently, Theresa May – …

China may grasp climate leadership at UN talks with Trump pulling out
7 years, 4 months ago

China may grasp climate leadership at UN talks with Trump pulling out

Live Mint  

Bonn, Germany: China has a chance to assert leadership of a global plan to combat climate change this week at the first UN climate talks since US President Donald Trump decided to quit the 195-nation Paris Agreement, delegates say. Government experts are to work on a “rule book” for the 2015 climate change pact at 6-17 November annual meeting in …

Experts: US exiting climate pact may doom some small islands
7 years, 8 months ago

Experts: US exiting climate pact may doom some small islands

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — To small island nations where the land juts just above the rising seas, the U.S. pulling out of the Paris global warming pact makes the future seem as fragile and built on hope as a sand castle. “And so if we continue this trend our very existence as small islands could very well disappear in many instances.” The …

U.S. Lashed As 'Main Threat' To Environment At UN Ocean Conference
7 years, 9 months ago

U.S. Lashed As 'Main Threat' To Environment At UN Ocean Conference

Huff Post  

President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord now makes the U.S. the “main threat to Mother Earth,” Bolivian President Evo Morales charged Monday at the start of the United Nations’ first ocean conference. Morales called the U.S. one of the world’s “main polluters.” In opting to exit the Paris Agreement, he said, it is “denying …

Donald Trump pulls out of Paris Accord: Pacific Islands accuse US of 'abandoning' them to climate change
7 years, 9 months ago

Donald Trump pulls out of Paris Accord: Pacific Islands accuse US of 'abandoning' them to climate change

Firstpost  

Pacific Islands, at risk of being swallowed by the rising seas, accused Donald Trump of “abandoning” vulnerable nations. Pacific Islands, at risk of being swallowed by the rising seas, accused Washington of “abandoning” vulnerable nations and expressed dismay on Friday after Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris climate deal. “It’s really an act of abandoning small …

Paris agreement: Angela Merkel says she will help 'save our planet' after Trump's withdrawal from climate deal
7 years, 9 months ago

Paris agreement: Angela Merkel says she will help 'save our planet' after Trump's withdrawal from climate deal

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Angela Merkel has responded to Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate …

Angela Merkel says Germany can no longer rely on Donald Trump's America: 'We Europeans must take our destiny into our own hands'
7 years, 9 months ago

Angela Merkel says Germany can no longer rely on Donald Trump's America: 'We Europeans must take our destiny into our own hands'

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian …

Donald Trump 'tells close advisers' the US will be leaving Paris climate deal
7 years, 9 months ago

Donald Trump 'tells close advisers' the US will be leaving Paris climate deal

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy US President Donald Trump has told "confidants", including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency …

Trump 'will definitely pull out of Paris climate change deal'
8 years, 1 month ago

Trump 'will definitely pull out of Paris climate change deal'

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A former climate change …

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