PRIME Minister Matthew Wale called for stronger political action and accountability from major greenhouse gas emitters, warning that climate change is already an existential threat to Solomon Islands and Pacific Island countries.
Wale raised the issue during a meeting with United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed on the margins of Pre-COP31 in Nadi. He said concrete action was urgently needed to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal alive.
He called for research into historical and current emissions to inform accountability mechanisms based on the polluter-pays principle, including for the G7, G20, BRICS and emerging economies.
He also urged greater political-level engagement with those groupings, particularly on fossil fuel subsidies and continued investment in fossil fuels.
“The Pacific Ocean serves as a major carbon sink, removing carbon from the atmosphere and providing a global environmental service, while major emitters continue to benefit from this natural function without adequately compensating vulnerable Pacific countries,” Wale said.
He questioned whether the current United Nations climate process provides sufficient pathways to address historical emissions and hold major emitters accountable.
Wale also advocated wider adoption of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index to guide access to development and climate finance for Small Island Developing States, including grants and concessional financing.
Mohammed acknowledged the need to engage with major political groupings and said multilateral development banks, including the IMF and World Bank, could help drive change where political will and capital are available.
She also acknowledged the lack of progress on global climate ambition and the need for stronger action ahead of COP31.
