Pacific Island Warriors Present Declaration at COP23

By Mereoni Mili (photo courtesy of Asia Pacific report)

Bonn, Germany – The Pacific Climate Warriors delivered the Declaration on Climate Change to Pacific island leaders and members of the delegation at the Talanoa space in the Bonn zone this past week.

The declaration is in the form of signatures and an online campaign called #haveyousei where people shared stories of how climate change has impacted people’s homes and the realities of climate crisis.

More than 23 thousand people signed the declaration which was printed on a tapa cloth and presented to the leaders including former President of Kiribati Anote Tong.

The declaration calls for an end to fossil fuels and transition to a 100% renewal energy by 2050 and that the COP should be about the people not the profits and polluters.

“People may say that what we are asking for is unattainable but the most powerful thing is the we bring the Pacific favour to it, the humility, humbleness and the respect for our land to keep on a good fight and hoping for the best”, George Nacewa, a Climate Warrior from Fiji.

Mr Tong commended the work of young people from the Pacific and thanked the climate warriors for keeping on the fight for climate change.

He added that climate change should be a litmus test for politicians seeking to win office.

“When it comes to climate change, politicians are the worst leaders because they think about the next election not the next generation” said Mr Tong.