Pacific nations ‘must hold firm against Australia on fossil fuels’

Australia’s continued support for fossil fuels is threatening the economy and environment of its regional neighbours, the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum has told a Canberra conference.

Meg Taylor said that climate change was the “single greatest threat to the security and wellbeing” of Pacific Islands countries and that the region could not afford disunity over such a critical issue.

Stronger mitigation efforts are needed “if we are to guarantee the existence of the Pacific and of our planet as we know it”, she said.