New Zealand and Australia are being called on to offer more leadership to Pacific countries trying to combat climate change.
The focus at next week's summit of the Pacific Islands' Forum in the Marshall Islands is trying to spark a new level of leadership on climate change.
The minister-in-assistance to the Marshall Islands president, Tony de Brum, says New Zealand and Australia must take a more active and meaningful role.
"There is no better opportunity than at this current time. We in the Marshalls become the chair of the Forum, Australia becomes president of the [United Nations] Security Council, and New Zealand should not just sit back and watch this thing happen. They should be part of the leadership called for, for climate action."
Tony de Brum says New Zealand's recent commitment to cut emissions to five percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020 is meaningless and a joke.
