By EDDIE OSIFELO
MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Jeremiah Manele is calling on the developed world to take more climate action before they reach the tipping point when climate impact becomes irreversible.
Delivering his speech on the debate of $4 billion budget in Parliament on Tuesday, Manele said as a Small Islands Developing State, “our vulnerability to climate change continue to impact on the lives of our people especially those living on low laying islands”.
“Sadly mitigation commitments by the international community under the Paris Agreement is not ambitious enough to put us on a 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway.
“Lives and future of our people especially remains uncertain and under threat.
“I wish to use this occasion to call on all countries in particular the developed world to take more climate action before we reach the tipping point when climate impact becomes irreversible.
“We may need a stronger climate Agreement that makes climate action mandatory,” he said.
On the other hand, Opposition Leader, Mathew Wale urges the government to seriously consider the establishment of a Climate Fund, which should be responsible for the funding of all matters that are climate related including mitigation, adaptation, relocation, disaster resilience, response, rehabilitation, etc.
“Recent photos of Kwai & Ngongosila show what was also experienced in Lilisiana, Walande & Fanalei, and many other vulnerable communities around our country.
“Government cannot justify its postponement of meaningful action on this existential matter,” he said.
Wake said the response to covid-19 has demonstrated government is able to galvanize attention and focus resources to tackle an issue effectively.
He said a similar commitment needs to be made to tackling the consequences of sea level rise on vulnerable communities. It is now not good enough to wait until disaster strikes before responding to alleviate the plight of our people.
