Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says that while the Paris agreement is a step in the right direction, it is only the first step.

Bainimarama is calling on other Pacific leaders and nations to remain very clear headed about the fact that our work is just beginning.

He says it is now up to the Pacific to ensure that all nations live up to this agreement.

Bainimarama adds the agreement will mean nothing if we simply sit back and rest on our success.

Without proper monitoring, none of what was agreed will matter and the Prime Minister has given assurance that Fiji will be there every step of the way.

Bainimarama says this is to make sure that words become actions and those actions are drastic enough to save our planet.

He is satisfied that many of our demands were met at the COP21 meeting and that the new climate deal means that the global community has taken meaningful action to address the threat of climate change.

Fiji has already taken the lead among our Pacific island neighbors and Bainimarama says we will accept no compromise on implementation.

Bainimarama adds that more work remains to be done to implement the terms of this new agreement and given assurance Fiji will remain engaged in the process.

The agreement aims to curb global warming to less than 2C (3.6F) by the end of the century.

Nearly 200 countries took part in tense negotiations in the French capital over two weeks, striking the first deal to commit all nations to cut emissions.

The agreement – which is partly legally binding and partly voluntary – will come into being in 2020.