Kiribati ex-president backs legal case against Australia over inaction on climate crisis

Published By Matthew Eloyi On Apr 24, 2023

Opening Ceremony of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 Statement by H.E. Mr. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Fiji and Chair of the Thirty-seventh Annual Meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 Presentation of G-77 Appreciation Award by H.E. Mr. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Fiji, to Mr. Mourad Ahmia, Executive Secretary of the Group of 77 Admission of new members: Republic of Kiribati (agenda item 2) Statement by H.E. Mr. Liu Jieyi, Permanent Representative of the Peoples Republic of China to the United Nations, on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group Statement by H.E. Mr. Anote Tong, President, Head of Government and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kiribati Statement by H.E. Mr. John W. Ashe, President of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly Statement by H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

A former Pacific Island president has expressed his support for a Torres Strait Islander-led legal case to hold the Australian government accountable for climate crisis inaction.

Anote Tong, the former president of Kiribati On Monday signed a statement of solidarity with Paul Kabai and Pabai Pabai, who have taken the government to court, demanding further emissions reductions in line with science.

The two Torres Strait Islander men hail from the Boigu and Saibai communities on two of Australia’s northernmost inhabited islands. Low-lying Saibai is just four kilometres from Papua New Guinea, and both islands are regularly flooded by seawater.

According to reports, the two men are both leading a landmark class action on behalf of their island communities, arguing the Commonwealth of Australia is acting unlawfully in failing to stop climate change that, if unchecked, will destroy their homelands.

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Tong lent his support and said Australia needed to do more to cut emissions.

“The Australian government is stepping up with cutting domestic emissions and committing to a zero-emission level by 2050, which is good – but of course, the real challenge has always been the exported fossil fuels, oil and gas which are essentially a lot more substantial than what would be emitted domestically. So that is the real challenge,” he was quoted as saying.

Speaking further, he said, “The [Australian] government sometimes feels it’s not their problem. It’s the problem of the importing country but nevertheless, it still contributes to global emissions.”

Tong also backed the case after a week-long visit to the two Indigenous communities.

“We find a great deal of similarity with the situation that these people are facing with our own situation in our part of the world,” he said. “Particularly the most vulnerable Pacific island countries with respect to the impacts of climate change. “These peoples, these communities really do not receive any focus.”