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World leaders can save the world from the climate change crisis if they can save the Pacific Ocean, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. He described the Pacific Ocean as a beacon of unity and strength, environmental stewardship and peace.
“The decisions made by world leaders in the coming years will determine the fate of Pacific islanders, but it will also determine the fate of everyone else. In other words: can we save the Pacific,” he said in a speech.
The UN leader praised the Pacific for taking the lead in protecting the planet from the climate crisis, but said the region needed financial support and the capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change.
Pacific island nations are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the environment is vital to their survival and livelihoods.
The region has long sought international cooperation to mitigate the effects of climate change as many of its islands are low-lying and threatened by ocean waves and coastal erosion.
“This region has fearless seafarers, skilled fishermen, and a deep ancestral knowledge of the ocean. But humans have treated the ocean like a sewer,” he added.
He said plastic pollution is threatening marine life in the Pacific Ocean, and greenhouse gases are causing ocean warming and acidification and a dramatic rise in sea levels.
Guterres also expressed support for the Pacific region’s “Blue Pacific Continental Strategy 2050” and pledged to help mobilize international resources for the Pacific Resilience Fund and participate in all relevant initiatives of the Pacific Islands Forum.
He said the Pacific was showing leadership and world leaders should follow their example.
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