To The Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of AustraliaDear Prime Minister,

We write to you as Pacific Islander leaders whose homelands and cultures face certain devastation from climate change.

In the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security, all Pacific Island Forum (PIF) members, including Australia, identified climate change as the region’s single greatest security threat.

Pacific island nations have long been leaders in driving global progress to combat climate change. However, Australia’s current Paris Agreement emission reduction target remains one of the weakest amongst wealthy nations.

In anticipation of the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December 2020 and the next PIF Leaders meeting we call on your government to honour its international climate commitments and take urgent climate action by:

• Committing to net zero emissions by 2050 and developing a long term low greenhouse gas emissions strategy by 2021

• Cancelling Australia’s leftover Kyoto Protocol credits, which legally cannot, and morally should not, be used to meet Australia’s 2030 Paris Agreement target

• Doubling Australia’s current Nationally Determined Contribution in line with the 2014 advice of your independent Climate Change Authority

• Maximising the opportunities associated with the COVID-19 recovery package to boost the renewable energy sector and low emissions transport sector

• Providing new and additional funds beyond the current aid budget to finance climate mitigation and adaptation under the Paris Agreement, including contributing to the Green Climate Fund.

Australia needs the Pacific as much as the Pacific needs Australia.

As our children and grandchildren face unprecedented risks due to climate change, now is the time to stand together and work together to secure their future safety and prosperity.

Yours Sincerely,

Facilitated by the Pacific Calling Partnership (Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education), with support from a coalition of NGOs.

To show your support for this letter, go to: https://pcp.good.do/savepacificislands/

Hon Willy Telavi, Former Prime Minister of Tuvalu

The Rt Hon Enele S Sopoaga, CMT., OBE., Former Prime Minister of Tuvalu

His Excellency Anote Tong, Former President of Kiribati

Her Excellency Hilda Heine, Former President of the Marshall Islands

Hon Ralph Regenvanu (MP), Leader of the Opposition, Parliament, Republic of Vanuatu

Hon Peter Kenilorea Jr. (MP), East Are Are Constituency, Solomon Islands

Emeline Siale ILOLAHIA, Executive Director, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations

Sir John Cardinal Ribat, MSC,DD, KBE, Archbishop of Port Moresby

Most Rev Peter Chong, Archbishop of Suva

Rt Rev Bosco Baremes, Bishop of Port Vila

Rev. James Bhagwan, General Secretary, Pacific Conference of Churches

Sister Loretta Kenny, Leadership Team Member, Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands

Sister Relida Gumur, Provincial Superior of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Papua New Guinea

Father Donato Kivi, Rector, Marist College

Father Setefano Mataele, Provincial, Oceania SM Province