<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/01/australia-coalmine-decision-akin-to-drowning-its-pacific-neighbours-tuvalu-climate-minister-says>
"Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine
expansions calls into question the country’s claim to be a “member of the
Pacific family” and undermines the Australian case to co-host the 2026 UN
climate summit with island nations.
Dr Maina Talia said last week’s mine approvals, which analysts say could
generate more than 1.3bn tonnes of carbon dioxide across their lifetime once
the coal is shipped and burned overseas, was “a direct threat to our collective
future”.
“I have made my view on new coal projects very clear at last month’s Pacific
Islands Forum: fossil fuels are killing us, all of us. It is therefore immoral
and unacceptable to any country to open new fossil fuel projects, as Australia
has recently done with the three coalmine expansion projects it has just
approved,” Talia told
Guardian Australia.
“This is a matter of survival for my country of Tuvalu and for other nations in
the Pacific. Australia calls itself a member of the Pacific family but this
recent decision puts this statement in question.
“How can Australia justify co-hosting a Cop [UN climate conference] with the
Pacific at the same time as it continues to open new fossil fuels projects that
are putting our very existence at risk?”
Talia’s position was broadly backed by Anote Tong, a former Kiribati president
and now the chair of the Pacific Elders’ Voice. He said Pacific countries
should not support Australia’s proposal to co-host Cop31, the year-ending UN
climate summit scheduled for 2026, in partnership with the Pacific while it
continued to expand its fossil fuel operations.
“I don’t believe the Pacific can be part of that when a country [Australia] is
doing the very opposite of what a Cop is supposed to be doing,” he said. “It
seems a total contradiction to Australia’s professed position of being active
on climate change.”
Tong said if Pacific leaders did choose to back Australia’s hosting bid they
should make their support conditional on it “doing something really
significant” on the climate crisis."
Punchline:
"The director of the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education, a
human rights organisation with a Pacific focus, said Australia’s approval of
new coal projects “flies in the face of its rhetoric” about being a Pacific
family member.
“When a member of your family is sinking, you help them to safety. You do not
push their head further down into the water,” ‘Alopi Latukefu said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
