A leading New Caledonian politician has called on France to host another summit with the leaders of Pacific Island countries to highlight the challenges created by climate change.
Philippe Gomes Photo: AFP
Philippe Gomes, who is also a member of the French Senate, has written to the French president, Francois Hollande, suggesting such a summit could be held as part of the COP 21 meeting in Paris in December.
Mr Gomes says no region could show better than the Pacific what humankind has to face up to, adding that is happening in the Pacific now will occur in other parts of the world in 20 to 50 years.
Although the Pacific contributes only 0,03 percent of global emissions, climate change affects it most.
Last month, a group of 15 Pacific countries and territories met in New Caledonia and called on the international community to launch a revolution to deal with climate change at the COP 21 conference.
France has hosted three summits with Pacific leaders - two were chaired by President Jacques Chirac and the last one, in 2009, by the then foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner.
