Polluters must pay for climate damage: Tuvalu minister August 27, 2024

Funafuti, Tuvalu. The UN has labeled the low-lying South Pacific island nation ‘extremely vulnerable’ to climate change

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Polluters must pay for climate damage: Tuvalu minister

On Monday, the low-lying Pacific island state of Tuvalu called for nations that pollute to pay for the rising costs of climate damage, saying: ‘If you pollute, you should pay’.

‘We need to make sure that we continue to press for action from the countries that pollute the most,’ climate minister Maina Talia told AFP on the sidelines of a Pacific islands summit.

‘Polluter pays must be on the table.’

The Pacific Islands Forum - the region's main summit - opened on Monday in the Kingdom of Tonga, drawing global attention to the region's climate situation.

‘We can't address climate change without addressing the root cause, which is the fossil fuel industry,’ said Talia.

‘It's disaster after disaster, and we're losing the ability to rebuild, to withstand another cyclone or another flood.’

With an average height of fewer than three meters above sea level, Tuvalu's coral atolls are seriously threatened by even moderate rises in sea level.

‘We must not turn a blind eye to climate change and the issue of rising sea levels,’ said Talia.

‘We must make sure that the most polluting countries continue to support not only Tuvalu but other low-lying countries.’

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