Posted on 16 September
2009
The Alliance of
Small Island States (AOSIS) is a coalition
of Small Island and low-lying coastal countries
that share similar development challenges
and concerns about the environment, especially
their vulnerability to the adverse effects
of global climate change.
If small island nations are to survive,
rich and polluting nations must take responsibility
and push for an ambitious climate deal in
Copenhagen. The upcoming meeting of the
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
gives countries who contribute least to
global warming but whose survival depends
on a fair and ambitious climate agreement,
an opportunity to be heard.
Climate negotiations
which lead to a summit in Copenhagen have
so far been dominated by rich nations and
big polluters.
The AOSIS meeting which
coincides with a series of high-level summits
including the United Nations climate conference
and the G20 will help to carry the message
across to all nations.
“We need to break up
the cycle where big polluters mainly discuss
how to combat global warming in their own
circle,” said Kim Carstensen, the leader
of the Global Climate Initiative at WWF.
“The AOSIS summit gives a great opportunity
to speak out loud, clearly formulate demands
which rich and polluting states have the
responsibility to fulfil.”
“It is completely absurd to talk about climate
change without listening to those who are
actually affected by it.”
Small islands are already
experiencing the immediate impacts of climate
change, including the inundation of coastal
areas, the submergence of islands, loss
of freshwater supplies, flooding, drought,
damaged crops and increased disease. Further
warming will increase these risks and threaten
the existence of these places.
The Alliance of Small
Island States (AOSIS) is a coalition of
Small Island and low-lying coastal countries
that share similar development challenges
and concerns about the environment, especially
their vulnerability to the adverse effects
of global climate change.
The 42-member Alliance
is also a key negotiating bloc in international
climate negotiations.
WWF agrees with the
message from AOSIS – we need immediate and
ambitious climate action to secure the survival
of small island states. This summer we saw
the G8 and the Major Economies Forum agree
to a limit for climate change at 2 degrees.
This is an important step in the right direction,
but a temperature rise of two degrees is
still too high.
WWF calls for a global
commitment to keep temperature rise well
below two degrees compared to pre-industrial
levels, and believes that greenhouse gas
emissions must continue to fall even further
to eventually bring temperature rises below
the 1.5 degree limit proposed by the small
island states.
“World leaders who come
together for the United Nations climate
summit and for the G20 will have to listen
to what AOSIS has to say and act on it immediately.
The price for inaction is far too high,”
Carstensen said.
