Fiji vows to continue battle against climate change

Suva: The island nation of Fiji on Monday vowed to continue to champion evidence-based action in leading other vulnerable nations in the fight against climate change.

Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said that while they could not unilaterally control global climate change, they could influence the perception of it and the global response, reports Xinhua news agency.

While many recognize climate change as a true crisis, few have put in place or enforced laws required to translate ambition into action, he said, adding that as the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement on December 12 is approaching, it is critical that the message to the world is backed by action on domestic commitments.

He pointed out that on the eve of the anniversary of the Paris Agreement, they must encourage the world's major economies to reflect on the trajectory of the last five years as well as the trends that have defined the last four decades.

As one of the victims of climate change, Fiji has for years called for more actions to be taken by the world to better fight climate change.

Fiji is the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement as well as the first small island state to lead the climate negotiations as president of the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23).

Now Fiji is among the nations committed to net-zero emissions by 2050.