Pacific Islands Push Rich Countries to Speed Up Emission Cuts: Here's Why

Pacific island states have urged the governments of developed countries to act promptly and make significant cuts in carbon emissions. Additionally, these island states are awaiting details on how the rich countries will meet their obligation of providing $1.3 trillion per year in climate finance to support poor countries by 2035, reported The Guardian.

“We have voiced again and again the reality that we face: our islands’ safety depends on your collective commitments to take decisive action. The only question now is: what will you do with that knowledge?” the island states said in a letter, as reported by The Guardian.

This move is part of the Pacific island states’ broader strategy to hold rich countries accountable and ensure a timely help ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil this November.

Island States Demand Action

According to the 2023 IPCC Assessment Reports, coastal cities, including small Pacific islands, are especially vulnerable to climate change due to sea levels and extreme weather.

The report stated that the absence of global action on adaptation and mitigation will lead to unlivable and unsustainable future for all.

In their push for accountability, the several Pacific island states have also filed a court case under international law against rich countries.

Toni Warns of Consequences

Reverberating the same concerns, Ana Toni, Chief Executive of COP30 warned in March, that countries must ramp up their climate efforts or “face more wars in the future”. She suggested that some counties could include climate spending in their defense budgets.

“Climate change is an accelerator of inequalities and poverty, and we know that the consequences of inequality and poverty can turn into wars in the future,” Toni told The Guardian. “The fight against climate change needs to be seen as something that’s not divorced from the big security issue of humanity,” she added.

The COP30 conference is set to take place Belem, Amazon in November 2025. Meanwhile, amid rising geopolitical tensions, many developed countries including EU member states and the UK, are increasing defence spending in response to threats like US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and his broader stance on foreign policy.