SYDNEY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2018 (GREENPEACE) – Greenpeace Australia Pacific congratulates the people of the Marshall Islands and their President, Dr Hilda Heine, on continuing to demonstrate moral leadership on the greatest challenge of our time – climate change.
Overnight Heine announced the island nation’s strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050 – in the process becoming only the tenth country to submit a long-term decarbonisation pathway to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as called for under the Paris Agreement, and the first island nation to do so.
“The Pacific nation is punching above its weight and sending a clear signal to those dependent on growing their economies by investing into the fossil fuel industry to stop their dirty dealings before it becomes too late,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Pacific Net, Kelvin Anthony, said.
“Marshall Islands is lighting the way to show what real climate action should look like, not by words but action.”
Anthony pointed out that the move by the Marshall Islands in becoming the first nation to confirm they would unequivocally raise ambition shamed their neighbours and strategic partners such as Australia and the United States.
“The Marshall Islands is one of the most vulnerable to climate change impacts but are amongst the first to come up with an actual plan to increase their ambition to reduce emissions,” Anthony said.
“While at the same time developed and fossil fuel reliant countries such as Australia and the US are refusing to reduce their emissions.
“This is an example big emitters must follow. If the Marshall Islands can increase ambition to reduce emissions then why can’t the dirty energy dependent and powerful economies do it too?” he said.
