Pacific Island Leaders Urge Australia to End Fossil Fuel Exports

During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, Pacific nations urged Australia to phase out fossil fuel exports. Tuvalu's PM, along with Vanuatu and Fiji officials, highlighted a report showing Australia's role in emissions and the threat to island nations from rising sea levels.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting opened in Samoa with Pacific island nations calling on Australia to halt fossil fuel exports. Led by Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo, alongside senior officials from Vanuatu and Fiji, the demand was backed by a new report from the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

The report reveals that fossil fuels extracted in Australia, Canada, and the UK are responsible for a substantial share of global emissions—60% of emissions from Commonwealth countries since 1990. This troubling statistic contrasts the fact that these nations represent just 6% of the Commonwealth’s population.

Teo emphasized the existential threat rising sea levels pose to Pacific island nations, urging Australia to reconcile its climate commitments with its fossil fuel production. As the first Pacific host of the summit, this meeting in Samoa ensures that climate change remains a top priority for leaders, especially for those from the world’s most vulnerable island nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)