Climate change needs solutions

 MANY people do not understand what climate change is but continue to believe that it is an event happening in the future, Kiribati President Anote Tong says.

“Climate change is not about science and environment, it is about real people being affected.

“We are talking about so many things related to climate change but no one gave the thought about people who will be losing their homes.

Tong was speaking on Tuesday at a press conference organised by the Pacific Climate Action Network, during the Pacific Islands Forum in Port Moresby.

He believed that what needed to be done is more urgent and involved more effective leadership. 

“I’ve always spoken about climate change and perhaps the most significant challenge for humanity and the challenge for us leaders during this series of meetings in this forum is what we want to tell the world?” Tong asked.

“The collection of countries here for the PIF would be the most vulnerable to climate change.

“We have already experienced it and we have communities which have to be relocated, particularly isolated islands with food crops and water being destroyed. I believe the challenge for us leaders in meetings like this is that, are we able to go back and reassure our people that we have a solution?”

Tong said that has not been the case and leader continued to look for answers.