Small Island States Urge World to Honour 1.5C Climate Limit

Small island states have described the 1.5C limit for global heating as a lifeline and demanded that the world honours it, amid increasing gloom that the symbolic target has already been breached. Toiata Apelu-Uili, mitigation coordinator for the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), stated that the 1.5C limit is not a political slogan, but rather a lifeline for their survival, as she spoke at a side event on day one of the Cop30 summit. According to Apelu-Uili, who travelled for two days to get to Belem from Samoa, the 1.5C limit is crucial for the survival of small island states. "It is not a political slogan. This is a lifeline for our survival, for our small islands. Were here because our survival, our people, our lives are not negotiable," she said. Apelu-Uili's comments were echoed by UnaMay Gordon, a former director of climate change for the Jamaican government and adviser to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, which coordinates climate change efforts in the region. Gordon shared a harrowing account of the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica a week-and-a-half ago. "Every single Jamaican now knows the word catastrophic," she said. The Cop30 summit, which is being held in Belem, Brazil, is a critical platform for countries to discuss and agree on climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. The 1.5C limit, which is a key target of the Paris Agreement, has been a subject of intense debate among countries. However, small island states, which are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, have consistently emphasized the importance of honouring this target. The increasing gloom that the 1.5C limit has already been breached is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the pre-industrial era, and the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5C is rapidly dwindling. The IPCC has warned that if the world fails to limit warming to 1.5C, the consequences will be catastrophic, including more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and storms. The Cop30 summit is expected to be a critical test of countries' commitment to addressing climate change. The summit will bring together representatives from over 190 countries to discuss and agree on climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. The outcome of the summit will have significant implications for the future of the planet, and small island states are counting on the world to honour the 1.5C limit. As the Cop30 summit enters its second day, the world is watching with bated breath to see if countries will rise to the challenge of addressing climate change. The outcome of the summit will be a critical indicator of the world's commitment to honouring the 1.5C limit and ensuring a livable future for generations to come.