17 Nov 2017

Tuvaluans 'fear for their future, every day'

4:15 pm on 17 November 2017

Tuvalu's Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga has told delegates to the climate change conference in Bonn that his people fear for their future, every day.

Enele Sopoaga

Enele Sopoaga Photo: AFP or licensors

The COP23 meeting is working on implementing the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions decided under the Paris climate deal.

The threat from sea level rise means that Tuvalu will become uninhabitable by 2050, and Kiribati, is expected to be fully submerged by 2100.

Mr Sopoaga said the situation was dire and climate-change deniers and sceptics needed to be ignored.

"Maybe they can step aside, and allow the world [and] progressive countries like the UK, like Canada, like the European Union and France, and New Zealand - move forward on the global agenda on climate change. We need actions out of COP23."

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