Global temperatures should not be allowed to rise more than 1.5 degrees,Tonga's Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Siaosi Sovaleni, said while speaking at COP29, Report informs.
The prime minister expressed his pleasure to be in Baku representing the 'green island':
"I thank the Azerbaijani leadership for inviting us to this event. Today, about 200 countries face a serious challenge. Tonga, as an island nation in the Pacific, also faces environmental problems. We are now talking about resistance to climate change, but it's not easy to prevent it. We are already in the final stage.
We cannot allow global temperatures to rise more than 1.5 degrees. Land degradation that began in our country since 2023 has created serious problems in preserving flora and fauna. In Pacific Islands Forum meetings, we have identified our strengths and weaknesses. Today, we need to discuss the biggest possible goals and take joint steps.
The fate of small island states must be decided at this conference. Based on these initiatives, we hope that new alliances will be formed and we will achieve national contributions. We also hope to secure financial assistance. We must implement our decade-long program in small island states."