Leaders sign climate PACT

PAPEETE – The leaders of the Polynesian countries have adopted a declaration calling for international recognition of their countries’ vulnerability to climate change.

The Polynesia Against Climate Threats (PACT) declaration calls for a joint effort to protect the ocean and the environment, and will be taken to world leaders at a major climate change conference in December.

The declaration was signed by the leaders in French Polynesia on Friday, and highlights the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events, loss of territorial integrity, and the displacement of populations as a result of climate change.

The leaders say they want the international community to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, and to financially support the countries in implementing adaptation solutions.

The declaration also calls for their exclusive economic zones to be permanently fixed and for their ocean area to be recognised as one of the great carbon absorbers, similar to rainforests.

It also calls for an international support mechanism to be established to compensate for the impacts of climate change and to protect displaced populations.

The PACT declaration reveals a clear positional change by leaders, led by Niue as the chair, with politicians taking on the lead for climate negotiations and not the scientists.

“This is never about scientists any more. This is about the politicians making political decisions on climate change,” Niue’s Premier, Toke Talagi.

He told media at French Polynesia’s Taputapuatea marae that in the past, politicians have allowed the climate negotiations to be “dictated by scientists”.

He emphasised that political leaders need to work together on the issue because politicians can make an impact where scientists cannot.