By Stephen Dziedzic in Samoa for the ABC
Tuvalu PM Feleti Teo has pleaded with major polluters to commit to phase out fossil fuels. Photo: RNZ Pacific
Several Pacific island nations are ramping up pressure on Australia over climate change during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, declaring that Canberra must phase out fossil fuel exports to help ensure their survival.
Tuvalu's prime minister, Feleti Teo, joined senior officials from Vanuatu and Fiji to launch a new report by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, which finds that Australia, Canada and the UK are responsible for over 60 percent of emissions generated from extraction across Commonwealth countries since 1990.
That is despite making up just 6 percent of the Commonwealth's population.
The report says there is a "stark imbalance in fossil fuel extraction" across the Commonwealth and that the rhetoric on climate action from the three countries is fatally undermined by pushes to expand fossil fuel production - particularly in Australia and Canada.
It comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lands in Samoa to attend CHOGM and meet with a host of leaders from across its 56 member nations.
Tuvaluan PM underlines climate obligations under new pact
Earlier this year, Teo ratified the landmark Falepili Union with Australia, which cements much stronger migration and security ties between the two countries.
Australia has also committed under the agreement to pour more money into helping Tuvalu mitigate the impacts of climate change and rising seas.
But Teo has been pleading with major polluters to make concrete commitments to phase out fossil fuel production to ensure his country is not ultimately subsumed.
The Tuvaluan prime minister told a press conference in Samoa's capital Apia that the current policies of major polluters represented a "death sentence" for his country.
And he said that Australia had additional obligations under the Falepili Union to help ensure his country could withstand the accelerating impacts of climate change.
"My view of that commitment is that Australia … is highly morally obliged to ensure that whatever action it does [take] will not compromise the commitment it has provided in terms of climate impact," he said.
"On that platform I'm hoping we'll be able to leverage Australia's support and hopefully that will translate into reducing emission levels."
Albanese has pointed to his government's commitment to cut emissions and reach net zero by 2050 - but Teo said ramping up coal and gas production was undermining global efforts to hit that target.
"The current Australian government has committed to net zero by 2050. Obviously the actions and activity [included] in the report launched are obviously not consistent with the broader spirit of achieving that objective," he said.
Teo said he hoped through the special treaty arrangement Tuvalu could put pressure on Australia to "align its activities in terms of fossil fuels, coal mining, to bring them in to the spirit of the treaty".
Australia focuses on net zero
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday morning that Australia was taking on the "big task" of transitioning its economy to net zero.
But the government has consistently said it could not be held responsible for emissions in other countries which purchase coal and gas.
Wong said that the "vast majority" of new coal-fired power plants were being developed in China and developing nations.
"Australia has to reduce its emissions, but the whole world - if we are going to combat sea level rise, temperature rising - the whole world will have to peak and reduce emissions," she said.
- ABC
