Ashwini Prabha




Hailing from the small islands nation of Fiji and leaving in Europe since early this year, I find myself in a constant dilemma that some individuals and leaders do not realise that climate change is not only affecting our small islands nations but also the rich countries. It spares no one and sees no boundaries.
This year, I am privileged to be involved in a number of high level meetings including the historic climate change negotiations which will culminate in December in Copenhagen (Denmark) at the 15th Conference of Parties of the UN Climate Change negotiations—COP15.
As one of the few Pacific islanders at some of the global meetings, I’m inspired to share a personal ‘islander’s perspective’.
I’m regularly asked—Is there a chance for survival in your part of the world? Or are your islands sinking? Some tend to forget that the heat is on in everyone’s backyard. Here in Europe, there are glaciers melting, heat wave occurring, new diseases infesting crops and temperatures changing affecting agricultural production, to name a few.
Fatefully now, we have two crises to handle— the financial and environmental crises of which climate change is the most pressing.
Our natural capital is depleting fast and is close to a ‘tipping point’ which will upset the balance of nature. Both crises are man-made and require urgent solution from all of us—whether we live on an island or a huge continent like Europe or North America
Citizens are looking to world leaders to create the right political framework for a sustainable future. Leaders of the world’s largest developed countries (the G8) had one such opportunity in July, which was promptly squandered.
I was at the G8 Summit in L’Aquila Italy and it didn’t take me long to realise this was just a well orchestrated media-show with luxurious waste of resources on travel, accommodation, fine Italian cuisine, temporary office spaces with freezing air conditioning and the list goes on.
For me, it almost felt like being back on an island isolated from all the action as heads of governments only spoke to each other with most journalists and NGOs relying on the limited information leaked or through the self praise press conferences. Somehow, the G8 was out of touch with the real world.
Climate issues also seemed to be tucked away under the palm trees while governments cared more about economic recovery.
Michael Jackson’s death was receiving more press coverage than climate change until US President Obama announced that G8 leaders recognised the need to keep global temperature increases below two degrees Celsius. But the inconvenient truth is that even with 2 degrees Celsius, it does not represent a ‘safe’ future for humanity.
They also set a goal to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050.
This announcement caused a ‘tidal wave’ in the media world but what was not mentioned enough was how the leaders had completely failed to outline what ‘immediate’ action they would take to achieve these goals.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says rich countries must cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 if we are to avoid dangerous climate change, while the Alliance of Small Islands States—AOSIS (a coalition of small islands and low-lying coastal countries) is asking to keep temperature below 1.5 degrees C.
Developed nations fail to realise that some countries like Tuvalu and the Maldives may not have until 2050 and are fighting for survival.
Without a clear path for emission reductions, the 2-degree statement from G8 is a false hope for the many islands nations already threatened by sea level rise, coastal erosion, salinisation of drinking water, dying coral, damages to agriculture and infrastructure from stronger and more frequent natural disasters which could lead to the loss of the entire sovereign nations.
So far, the emission reduction pledges by individual industrialised countries do not add up to the level of action needed by 2020. Their commitments amount to between 15% and 21% below 1990 levels which is far below the recommendations by IPCC.
Additionally, recent science suggests that even “if we stop emitting today, we are locked into as much as two metres of sea level rise,” as gases emitted have a long life cycle.
So are Pacific leaders doing anything about this? We also have a role to play but our leaders are shying away. At the recent Pacific Leaders Forum in Cairns leaders did not produce any strong communiqué on climate change. There were reports of Australia “gagging” the more vulnerable islands states.
Shortly after, New Zealand made the shameful announcement to cut GHG by 10 to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 which is far below what a polluter like New Zealand is expected to do.
It is high time Pacific islands leaders stood up to the bullying from ‘self proclaimed big brothers Australia, New Zealand and the rich nations who are not ambitious enough to ensure our survival.
Leaders themselves need to speak louder and stronger and not only through the negotiators at the UN Climate meetings. 
Reflecting back to the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) in Poznan last year, Selwin Hart, a member of AOSIS and delegate from Barbados, told the EU (when they put forward a 2-degree target) that ‘AOSIS is not here to sign its suicide note.’
Similarly, Pacific islands leaders need to tell all the ‘big brothers’ that the climate crisis needs concrete solutions ‘not because the poor islands are drowning but because their backyards are also affected’.
COP14 was my initiation to dirty climate politics and the disparities between the North and the South in their climate change positions and even for office space.
Groups such as the European Union had luxurious hotel-like offices with continued supplies of coffee and wine while some Asian, Pacific and Caribbean countries shared tiny spaces.
Even now the scenario is similar where the rich world is comfortable with their high energy consuming lifestyles and the plight of the post-vulnerable are tucked away.
Let’s not forget that finding a solution to climate change is giving humanity an opportunity to act together for one cause. The environment connects us all and deserves a huge wave of action from the entire mankind to vote for Earth NOW.


Disclaimer:
The views expressed are that of the author’s and not the organisation she works for. To follow upcoming climate talks you can see the author’s work blog – www.panda.org/climateblog