Reuters: Island nations blame rich countries for climate inaction at UN assembly
Island nations blame rich countries for climate inaction at UN assemblyBy Daphne Psaledakis
September 22, 2023 1:08 PM EDT
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Island nations bearing the brunt of climate change this week confronted rich countries at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the failure by developed countries to act with urgency had put the islands' survival at risk.
"There are many amongst us, the small and marginalized islands of our globe, surrounded by rising seas and scorched by rising temperatures, who are beginning to question this annual parade of flowery speeches and public pretense of brotherhood, otherwise known as the U.N. annual General Assembly," Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre told the gathering on Friday.
Several speakers at the week-long event quoted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who in July cautioned that the era of global warming had ended and the era of global boiling has arrived.
A perceived lack of urgency by developed nations was a recurring theme. Speakers emphasized that a failure to sufficiently curb greenhouse gas emissions had contributed to rising sea levels, threatening island and low-lying nations.