3 Jul 2018

Kiribati government launches climate change policy

8:42 pm on 3 July 2018

The government of Kiribati has launched what it calls its first ever climate change policy.

The flag of Kiribati.

The flag of Kiribati. Photo: RNZ / Jamie Tahana

In a statement, the government said it had a strong mission to safeguard the present and future existence of Kiribati in light of the impacts of climate change and related disaster risks.

It says the policy outlines the current situation and depicts the vulnerabilities of Kiribati and its people with emphasis on the need to catalyse action through a whole-of-country approach.

The government says it recognises the severe impacts of climate change and the slow and sudden onset that become barriers towards achieving Kiribati's development aspirations as a country and people.

However it says action undertaken at the international level has been disappointingly slow.

No other details were given.