SUVA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Some 100 billion U.S. dollars is needed by 2020 if the world is to win the fight against climate change, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said here on Monday.
Speaking at the 3rd Climate Action Pacific Partnership Meeting in Suva, the capital of Fiji, Bainimarama said larger economies needed to increase the amount of climate finance for mitigation, resilience and adaptation in small, developing countries.
These large economies needed to devise ways to deliver financing quickly before more lives are needlessly lost as a result of the implication of climate change, he said, adding that the Adaptation and Green Climate Fund will need to be both replenished and increased with direct allocations.
There was also a need to make appropriate and affordable insurance products available as an integral part of any program of resiliency, and it is essential that every nation on earth recognizes that taking strong action on climate change is very much in its own national interest, he said.
Th prime minister said that every nation should care about every other nation.
"We want people to care that some small islands could disappear altogether. But we want them to understand that this is not our crisis alone. This is their crises. This is everyone's crisis," he said.
Bainimarama said small island states are not shackled by big industrial interests whose reckless actions have driven the world to the brink of catastrophe.
He added that they are not speaking for corporate interests, but for the interest of the people.
Pacific Island Leaders, he continued, will exchange information that will help small island states meet their goals of decarbonizing and building resilience in the next few days.
The third Climate Action Pacific Partnership Conference (CAPP III) will also provide a platform to amplify the voice of the Pacific Island Countries in the UN Climate Summit in September.
