‘We’re not giving up’: Beset by climate change, island nations act as conscience of a warming world

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In a recent visit to Palau's Helen Island, President Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr. observed that two-thirds of the island had disappeared due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. This devastating loss of land, burial grounds, and cultural identity prompted President Whipps to declare that "for us, it’s devastating." Despite their small size, island nations like Palau often find themselves on the sidelines in global power dynamics, offering moral guidance to larger nations that do not always listen.

However, they are now united in their efforts to raise awareness about the impending dangers of climate change and to be heard better.

In 2015, small island nations played a crucial role in securing tighter goals for limiting global warming in the Paris climate pact, reducing it from 2 degrees Celsius to 1.5 degrees since pre-industrial times. This decision was seen as a matter of survival for these vulnerable nations. However, scientists and the United Nations now acknowledge that the world is on track to surpass the 1.5-degree threshold within the next year or two.

To prevent permanent damage, the world must reduce the use of coal, oil, and gas to zero in the coming decades, allowing temperatures to stabilize below the 1.5-degree limit.

Anna Rasmussen, chief negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, emphasized that each fraction of a degree of warming increases the risk of irreversible sea-level rise. Small island nations, who have not contributed to climate change, are facing severe consequences such as the destruction of schools, saltwater contamination of wells, and disease outbreaks linked to environmental changes.

Joyelle Clarke, the environment minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, stressed that the injustice of these impacts must be addressed, and her community deserves restitution.

During her speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Saint Kitts and Nevis President Hilda Heine highlighted the urgent need to prevent the world from breaching the 1.5-degree mark, emphasizing that "death" is the consequence of failing to do so. She also called for recognition of the unfair burden placed on small island nations, who have not caused climate change but are suffering its consequences.

In response to these challenges, the United Nations adopted a resolution that reaffirms the sovereignty and marine rights of small island states, regardless of the effects of rising seas. The resolution underscores the message that despite the challenges posed by climate change, small island nations are not giving up on their survival and identity.