Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres warned today that some Pacific islands are at risk of destruction due to cyclones, heat and sea level rise caused by climate change, "France Presse" reported, quoted by BTA.
„High and rising sea levels pose a huge threat to Samoa, the Pacific and other small island developing states, and these phenomena require decisive international action,” he said during a visit to Apia, the capital of Samoa.< /p>
Although Pacific nations contribute only 0.02 percent of global carbon emissions, they are “on the front lines of the climate crisis, facing extreme weather events – from tropical cyclones to record ocean heat“, added the UN Secretary General.
The fate of these islands depends on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, Guterres said – a goal for which nearly 200 countries agreed to work at COP21 in 2015.
He urged rich countries to honor their commitments to finance measures against the effects of climate change in developing countries and calls for international action against overfishing and plastic pollution, particularly in the Pacific Ocean.
Guterres took the opportunity to express his views on the struggle for power and influence in the region between China, the US and their allies.
„The Pacific Ocean is best run by Pacific Islanders. It should never become an arena for geostrategic rivalry," he said.