[File Photo]

The Pacific is forced to deal with the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions generated largely by emerging countries that are a long way from the region.

COP26 President, Alok Sharma, highlighted this yesterday at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, while speaking on the road to COP27 and the Glasgow Climate Pact, which will be held later this year.

“This is not a crisis of your making, as your Prime Minister said ahead of cop 23 when Fiji indeed held the presidency. Frank said, we’ve not caused this crisis – your nations have. We have trodden lightly on the earth, whereas you have trodden heavily and those comments friends should weigh very heavily on all world leaders.”

Sharma says while the leaders of these emerging countries talk the right talk, they are yet to walk the talk on the level of climate action that is required.

He says some of these countries are finally starting to experience the long-term risks posed by global warming as a result of occurrences in which their grassland and properties were destroyed by wildfires and temperatures that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

Sharma says these are consequences of climate change that they would hear from Fiji and other Pacific Island countries, which they were forced to adapt to a long time ago.

He says the Pacific Islands Forum reinforces the reality by declaring a climate emergency that reflects a threat to the overall well-being of Pacific Islanders and their ecosystems.

Sharma adds that we should continue to work together to cajole countries around the world—in particular, the major emitters—to honor the promises they have made and to turn commitments into action.