Fiji’s prime minister has called
on global leaders coming to the country to see and listen to
the people on the climate frontlines as the pre-COP31
meeting is gets underway on Monday.
Sitiveni Rabuka
addressed an interfaith church service on Sunday ahead of
the meeting this week.
He said climate finance must
reach the communities that need it – “not someday, but now,
and as an act of justice, not charity”.
While
Australia and the Pacific’s joint bid to host COP31, the
United Nations annual climate summit, lost out to Türkiye,
it was agreed the Pacific would host the pre-COP
meeting.
A leaders’ event will also be held in
Tuvalu.
The main COP gathering will be
held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November, with
Australia serving as the president of
negotiations.
The Fijian government said in a news
release that regional leaders, ministers, diplomats, faith
leaders, youth, civil society organisations, NGOs, community
members and children gathered for the service on
Sunday.
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It said the prayers and performances reflected
the realities of Pacific people already living with the
increasing impacts of climate change.
“The Pacific is
waiting for a Jubilee. We carry a burden we did not create,”
Rabuka said.
Palau wants apology
Meanwhile,
Palau’s climate change coordinator is calling for an apology
from major greenhouse gas emitters.
Xavier Matsutaro
spoke to Pasifika TV ahead of the pre-COP
meeting.
He said there had been a lot of talk on the
mechanics and principles of it, but it was time for major
emitters start the healing process by apologising for
causing loss and damage to begin with.
“I think when
harm is caused from human to human, from person to person,
the appropriate thing to start with is an
apology.
“Then when the resource, when the means to
address it, comes, then it will be much more meaningful. And
we have nott had that dialogue at
all.”
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