PACIFIC Climate Warriors rolled out the red carpet with a banner “Keep it in the ground” to remind world leaders of the need to phase out fossil fuel and the coal industry.
Climate warrior Fenton Lutunatabua said six warriors from across the Pacific region stood in solidarity on the need to ban the trade in dirty fuels.
“This morning (Wednesday) six Pacific Climate Warriors representing Tonga, Kiribati, Tokelau, Samoa, the Pacific Diaspora in Australia and New Zealand and Fiji held up a “Keep it in the ground” banner in the Bula Zone to remind world leaders what’s needed to keep our islands above water,” he said.
“The Pacific warriors are well aware that the continuous expansion of the fossil fuel industry is causing destruction to the Pacific Islands and as COP is beginning to wrap up we want to remind world leaders that we need to keep fossil fuel in the ground and we need to adjust our position to renewable energy.”
Another Fijian, George Nacewa said Germany needs to phase out coal immediately to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius and give the Pacific a fighting chance for survival.
“We’re not prepared to let the fate of the Pacific be determined by politicians that put profits and polluters before people,” he said.
The activists rolled out the 80 metre red carpet to welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to COP23 in Bonn, Germany and urged her to announce a coal phase out in Germany in her speech before the plenary.
