Former president of Kiribati backs legal case against Australia over inaction on climate crisis

A former Pacific Island president has expressed his support for a Torres Strait Islander-led legal case to hold the Australian government accountable for climate crisis inaction.

Anote Tong, the former president of Kiribati On Monday signed a statement of solidarity with Paul Kabai and Pabai Pabai, who have taken the government to court, demanding further emissions reductions in line with science.

The two Torres Strait Islander men hail from the Boigu and Saibai communities on two of Australia’s northernmost inhabited islands. Low-lying Saibai is just four kilometres from Papua New Guinea, and both islands are regularly flooded by seawater.

According to reports, the two men are both leading a landmark class action on behalf of their island communities, arguing the Commonwealth of Australia is acting unlawfully in failing to stop climate change that, if unchecked, will destroy their homelands.

Tong lent his support and said Australia needed to do more to cut emissions.

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“The Australian government is stepping up with cutting domestic emissions and committing to a zero-emission level by 2050, which is good – but of course, the real challenge has always been the exported fossil fuels, oil and gas which are essentially a lot more substantial than what would be emitted domestically. So that is the real challenge,” he was quoted as saying.

Speaking further, he said, “the [Australian] government sometimes feels it’s not their problem. It’s the problem of the importing country but nevertheless, it still contributes to global emissions.”

Tong also backed the case after a week-long visit to the two Indigenous communities.

“We find a great deal of similarity with the situation that these people are facing with our own situation in our part of the world,” he said. “Particularly the most vulnerable Pacific island countries with respect to the impacts of climate change. “These peoples, these communities really do not receive any focus.”

Story was adapted from the Guardian.