United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a dire warning about the escalating climate crisis, urging nations to “Save Our Seas” as he highlighted the severe consequences of greenhouse gases and rising sea levels.
During a meeting with Pacific Island leaders in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on Tuesday, Guterres emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that “there is no lifeboat to take us back to safety.”
“This is a dire situation: Rising seas are a crisis of humanity’s own making, one that is poised to reach an almost unimaginable scale,” Guterres stated. “The cause is clear: Greenhouse gases, primarily from burning fossil fuels, are heating our planet, and the oceans are absorbing much of this heat.”
Nuku’alofa is currently hosting over 1,000 international delegates for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, which runs until August 30. Climate change and its impact on the Pacific’s vulnerable, low-lying communities are top priorities on the agenda for these regional officials, who govern some of the world’s most at-risk nations.
Guterres, who last attended the Leaders Meeting in 2019, stressed that with around 90 percent of the population living within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the coast, and an average elevation of just one to 1-2 meters (3.2-6.5 feet) above sea level, the Pacific islands are particularly vulnerable.
He is also expected to visit Samoa during his Pacific tour.
“Without drastic reductions in emissions, the Pacific Islands face at least 15 centimeters [6 inches] of additional sea level rise by mid-century, along with over 30 days of coastal flooding per year in some areas,” Guterres warned. “But by saving the Pacific, we save ourselves. The world must respond to this SOS before it’s too late.”
One of the most ambitious climate initiatives in the Pacific is the Pacific Resilience Facility, a “Pacific-owned and led” financial institution aimed at helping local communities build resilience to climate change. Although set to begin operations in 2025, the facility is facing a significant funding shortfall from international donors.
Guterres renewed his call for the world’s largest emitters, particularly the G20 nations, to financially support the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
“We need a surge in funds to counter the surge in sea levels,” he said.
Guterres’s remarks coincided with the release of two alarming reports by UN agencies on Monday, highlighting the worsening threat of rising sea levels. A World Meteorological Organization report on Pacific sea levels and a UN Climate Action Team report on the effects of warming seas both underscored the gravity of the situation, according to Guterres.
The Climate Action Team report found that sea levels in Nuku’alofa had risen by 21 centimeters (8.3 inches) between 1990 and 2020, more than double the global average increase of 10 centimeters (3.9 inches).
“Today’s reports confirm that relative sea levels in the Southwestern Pacific have risen more than the global average – in some areas, by over double the global increase in the past 30 years,” Guterres noted.
The UN General Assembly is scheduled to hold a special session on September 25 to discuss the existential threat posed by rising sea levels.
