1 Sep 2014

Pacific nations 'angry' at lack of progress

9:40 am on 1 September 2014

The World Bank's climate change advocate says the bank's key role is to ensure that small island states have improved resilience to the effects of climate change.

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Photo: RNZ / Mary Baines

The Bank will be one of many agencies making its services available during this week's United Nations Small Island Developing States Conference in Samoa.

Its vice president and special envoy for climate change, Rachel Kyte, says small island nations are becoming increasingly angry at the lack of progress by developed nations in confronting the issue.

"I think there has been a building up of frustration within small island developing states over the course of these conferences the first of which was held 21 years ago in Barbadoes. And you know, here we are 21 years later. So the rising frustration is for very real reasons."

Rachel Kyte says the World Bank is trying to change the way it works with small island states by making its services easier for them to access.