Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States, Ambassador Dr. Pa’olelei Luteru, says the G7 Climate Ministerial countries must acknowledge the severe deficiencies in their existing emission reduction targets and demonstrate their global leadership by committing to lowering their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 58% by 2030.
The G7 Climate Ministerial brings together the leaders of the world’s richest economies.
The 2024 G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment is being held from 28-30 April and the outcome, Dr. Luteru says, is being closely watched by small island developing states (SIDS)—countries which contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer the brunt of climate change impacts.
In a statement on Monday, AOSIS said:
"The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is calling for the G7 to bring the special circumstances of SIDS to the fore of their decisions. The unique challenges of small island nations include their small size and therefore, small economies, locations remote from international markets, vulnerability to external shocks, and fragile land and marine ecosystems."
“The actions of the world’s most powerful must no longer lead to the oppression of the world’s most vulnerable,” said the AOSIS Chair. “At our current level of warming we are seeing islands being swallowed by the seas, and record-breaking temperatures making essential activities like farming unbearable.”
Dr Luteru, who is the Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations, underscored that any inaction increases the danger to SIDS.
“Currently, the G7’s target of reducing emissions 40%-42% by 2030 falls woefully short of what is needed to keep our world within the agreed 1.5°C global warming limit. Without significantly more ambitious plans to cut emissions, we will veer off the path to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The lives and livelihoods of SIDS are already teetering on the brink due to climate impacts, and continued lack of ambition will send us over the edge.”
AOSIS also noted the technological and financial advantages of the G7 to achieve decarbonisation faster than the rest of the world, and how critical their support would be in helping developing countries decarbonise and achieve a just transition.