“Australia’s support for the Pacific in Paris has been notional at best and selfish at worst,” said Matisse Walkden-Brown, the head of Pacific Net, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s justice project.
“As we come down to the final days of the negotiations, Australia has been content to quietly sit by while nations such as the United States try to amend the final text to the severe disadvantage of Pacific and vulnerable states,” she said.
Crucial to protecting low-lying Pacific states is inclusion of a standalone article on the concept of loss and damage in the final text . This allows the term ‘loss and damage’ due to the climate crisis to be defined and internationally recognised. Without this text, injured nations, communities and families will be prevented from ever claiming compensation for climate-related events they cannot adapt to.
“On the issue of loss and damage, Australia is backing the United States and its attempt to make sure the text exempts them and other polluting nations from any future liability.
“Collectively, Pacific nations only contribute 0.03 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but are already suffering real economic impacts from climate change. Basic human rights - access to food, water and shelter - are being breached across the region.
“The UN estimates that Pacific coastal communities along 77,000 kilometres of shoreline could be affected by coastal erosion and the loss of natural resources through climate change.
“As a close neighbour with economic, social and cultural ties to the Pacific, Australia has an obligation to ensure that the people who are losing their livelihoods, homes, and lands - even the graves of their ancestors - have the right to compensation in the future,” said Ms Walkden-Brown.
Ms Walkden-Brown also highlighted Australia’s poor financial assistance to Pacific nations at the talks.
“Despite its bluster, Australia has also failed with financial assistance for Pacific nations to adapt to climate change. It has announced AUD$1 billion in aid over five years - but this will mostly be taken from its foreign aid budget.
“The fate of Pacific island nations is closely bound to that of Australia’s. The Pacific’s story today is Australia’s story tomorrow. It is time for the government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to look beyond short-sighted economic priorities at the Paris talks,” she said.
ENDS
Sydney, 10 December 2015 - Australia is failing its Pacific island neighbours at the United Nations climate negotiations with its lack of concrete support for a Pacific-friendly agreement, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said today.