Dear Editor,
PRIME Minister Frank Bainimarama told delegates at this week’s Nadi meeting that the climate crisis can no longer be ignored.
The Fiji Prime Ministers speech at the Nadi meeting was relayed by Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) today, 20 October 2017 in a morning news bulletin which read (quote).
“Fiji has called for “absolute dedication” to the strictest limits on global warming as it prepares to preside over UN talks which seek to keep the Paris climate agreement on track despite a US pullout.
“The 2015 agreement was dealt a major blow in June when President Donald Trump announced he was pulling out of the accord.
“Fiji is hosting a preparatory meeting before next month’s talks in Bonn, where environment ministers will work on a set of international guidelines for the Paris accord.
“Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama told delegates at this week’s Nadi meeting that the climate crisis can no longer be ignored.
“The accord sets a target of limiting a rise in average temperatures to “well below” two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, but ideally 1.5 degrees.
“Mr Banimarama said an “absolute dedication” to meet the 1.5 degree target is what is needed and what must be taken to Bonn.
“He said it’s hard to find any part of the world that is unaffected by a changing climate, listing Atlantic storms such as Ophelia battering Ireland, wildfires in California, Portugal and Spain, and floods in Nigeria, India and Bangladesh.”
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
