Antinuclear

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has found herself caught in the middle of the Pacific island nations, who are calling for a tougher stance, and Australia, her country’s greatest ally.

Speaking at the Pacific Islands Forum, she has urged for greater action on climate change and made a thinly veiled criticism of Australia’s defence of its rising greenhouse gas emissions.

We will continue to say that New Zealand will do its bit and we have an expectation that everyone else will as well,” she told reporters.

“Australia has to answer to the Pacific, that is a matter for them.”

Ms Ardern noted New Zealand contributes a small amount to global emissions but said that wasn’t an excuse not to act.

“If we all took the perspective that if you’re small it doesn’t matter, we wouldn’t see change.”

This is in stark contrast to Energy Minister Angus Taylor, who has used Australia’s small global contribution when defending rises in domestic emissions.

The New Zealand leader also sided with Pacific nations by saying anything more than a 1.5-degree rise in global temperatures would have a catastrophic effect.

Negotiations on the wording of the final communique are ongoing, with smaller nations calling for a phase-out of coal, no new coal mines and for Australia to not use carryover credits to reach emissions goals……

Although regional security issues are bubbling under the surface, Pacific leaders are dedicated to focusing on climate change, which is threatening their survival. …..

Minister for the Pacific Alex Hawke, who now has the prime minister by his side, earlier admitted Australia was trying to remove mention of phasing out of coal in the final communique.

He described it as a “red line issue” for Australian negotiators.

Mr Morrison has delved right into the forum, holding bilateral meetings on Wednesday with Ms Ardern as well as Vanuatu leader Charlot Salwai, Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna and Tuvalu’s Enele Sopoaga.

Mr Sopoaga has not held back on his strong language against Australia, saying its aid for the region was no excuse not to reduce emissions or open new coal mines.

The Pacific leaders will spend Thursday together at a leaders’ retreat. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-has-to-answer-to-the-pacific-ardern-weighs-in-on-climate-change-responsibilities