The Marshall Islands makes call for climate finance at G7

4:04 pm on 11 June 2018

The president of the Marshall Islands has called on leaders of the world's wealthiest democracies to free up access to sustainable climate finance.

Hilda Heine, (left), is greeted by Canada PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 summit

Hilda Heine, (left), is greeted by Canada PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 summit Photo: AFP

Hilda Heine was speaking as a guest at the G7 summit in Canada over the weekend.

The seven G7 nations comprise over 60 percent of the world's net wealth and produce around half, (46%) of its gross domestic product.

Dr Heine reminded the summit that countries like the Marshall Islands did not cause climate change and that they need the help of wealthy nations with financing climate change adaptation.

The Marshalls' president spoke of the existential threat of climate change to low lying island nations and urged the wealthy G7 countries to limit global temperature rise to 1-point-5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial times.

She said this was necessary to avoid the total inundation of her country which no amount of adaptation could help with.