United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dire warning on Thursday while visiting Samoa, emphasising that low-lying Pacific island nations face the risk of "annihilation" due to the devastating impacts of climate change. Guterres highlighted that these islands are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, intensified cyclones, and frequent ocean heatwaves, all of which are driven by human-induced climate change.
Guterres pointed out the injustice faced by Pacific island nations, which contribute just 0.02% of global carbon emissions but are disproportionately suffering the consequences. The rate of sea level rise in the Pacific is exceeding the global average, posing an existential threat to millions of people across the region. The Secretary-General described the situation as one where economies are being shattered and entire territories are at risk of disappearing.
In his remarks, Guterres urged wealthy nations to live up to their climate finance commitments to support vulnerable countries. He called for urgent international action to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as set out in the Paris Agreement. However, he acknowledged that the world is currently not on track to meet this critical target.
Additionally, Guterres warned against the Pacific region becoming a battleground for global powers, referring to the geopolitical competition between nations like China and the United States. He asserted that the Pacific should be managed by Pacific islanders themselves, rather than being drawn into external conflicts
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