Australia’s new Labor government has been called upon to demonstrate its commitment to climate action and support for the Pacific countries in support of a Vanuatu-led campaign to change international law to recognize the damage of change climate.
In a letter to the Prime Minister sent by major Pacific and Australian NGOs, shared exclusively with Guardian Australia, the groups urged Anthony Albanese to support Vanuatu’s campaign for the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on issue of climate change.
“These demands provide a great opportunity for your government to demonstrate its willingness to listen to the voices of the Pacific Islands and to show that you are ready to act in the face of the existential threat of the climate crisis in a way that offers hope to the people. future generations of Australians and the Pacific. Islanders, “said the letter, which was sent on behalf of groups such as 350 Pacific, Amnesty International Australia, Oxfam Pacific and the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network.
“We warmly welcome the Minister of Foreign Affairs [Penny] Wong’s comments heralded a new era in Australia’s commitment to the Pacific and Australia’s intention to stand side by side with the Pacific family in responding to the climate crisis. We urge you to reaffirm Australia’s support for the initiative at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders’ Meeting and to vote in favor of the resolution at the United Nations General Assembly. “
Vanuatu is seeking the ICJ, the world’s highest court, to issue an advisory opinion on the climate crisis.
If the campaign is successful, this would be the first authorized statement on climate change issued by the court and could have major implications for climate change litigation, the establishment of national law and international, regional and national disputes over climate damage. .
To be successful in its campaign, Vanuatu must get a majority of the UN General Assembly to vote in favor of presenting a question on the climate crisis to the ICJ in September. Vanuatu is conducting a major diplomatic campaign to support the advisory opinion.
Ralph Regenvanu, the country’s opposition leader, who as Foreign Minister in 2019, was one of the architects of the ICJ campaign.
Regenvanu said a key test for the Albanian government will come at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting next month, while Pacific countries discuss whether to endorse the question raised by Vanuatu.
Countries are currently negotiating the language of the question that will be presented to the court, with the formulation of the crucial question as to how much room the court has to make statements. Legal experts say high-emission countries could only support a narrow-minded question to avoid possible liability.
“I mean, framing the question is the key point that everyone is interested in,” Regenvanu said. “There is obviously a concern with this, to test the Australian government’s new climate credentials … on the issue [of] what they can agree on “.
Despite this warning, Regenvanu said he was more optimistic about gaining Australia’s support for the campaign than it would have been if Scott Morrison had won the recent election.
“We are very excited that it will be a much better result than it could have been even a few months ago.”
Regenvanu said the campaign for the ICJ’s advisory opinion had been halted due to Covid-19 and had “lost two years”, but that may not have been so bad, given the recent elections. ‘Australia.
“When it comes to the Australian election, it might be the right time,” he said.
Since its election last month, the Albanian government has tried to re-establish Australia’s relationship with the Pacific, which has been damaged by Australia’s climate inaction.
Pacific countries are at the forefront of the climate crisis, suffering from catastrophic cyclones, royal tides, rising groundwater salinity, droughts and the loss of low islands due to rising sea levels. The 2021 IPCC report found that global warming above 1.5 ° C would be “catastrophic” for Pacific island nations and could lead to the loss of entire countries due to the increase. from sea level during the century.
Pacific leaders have repeatedly said they believe the climate crisis is a major threat to security in their region.
During a visit to Fiji last month, Wong said that Australia under previous governments had “unleashed its responsibility to act on the climate”, but that the Albanian government “would end the climate wars in Australia”.
“This is a different Australian government and a different Australia, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you, our Pacific family, in response to this crisis,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office was contacted for comment.