Marise Payne signs Aust up - Climate Change biggest regional defence threat
Thursday, 06 September 2018
China's on the march - but that's not a worry according to Payne and mates.
She's done an Obama.
Climate Change is the biggest threat.
And by extension she reckons Trump is too.
FI.
Australia will be expected to contribute to a new $US1.5 billion Pacific Resilience Facility to help island nations adapt to the impacts of rising sea levels and more frequent natural disasters, after acknowledging climate change as the region’s biggest security threat.
The final communique agreed by Pacific Islands Forum nations in Nauru last night called on all countries to implement their promised Paris agreement carbon emissions cuts.
The communique, endorsed by Australia and the 17 other PIF nations, included an agreement to establish the new resilience fund, to be financed by member countries and multilateral organisations.
The PIF secretariat hopes the facility will grow to become a $US1.5 billion funding pool to help Pacific nations deal with the effects of climate change, including erosion, salinity in water tables, loss of crops and damaging storms.
Australia, which currently bears 35 per cent of the costs of PIF, will be expected to contribute significantly to the fund.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne approved the communique and a new security pact declaring climate change to the “the single greatest threat” the region, less than a fortnight after the Coalition’s move to drop carbon emissions cuts from energy policy.
The communique states: “Leaders called on countries, particularly large emitters, to fully implement their nationally determined contribution mitigation targets, including through the development and transfer of renewable energy, in line with committed timeframes.
“Leaders of forum island countries called on the United States to return to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”