Solomon Islands calls for cooperation at COP23

Solomon Islands will be pushing for more global cooperation at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP23, in Bonn, Germany.

Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia Collin Beck is the chief negotiator for Solomon Islands in the global discussions at COP23, and he said the main priority for the country is to get major global carbon emitters to commit to the fight against climate change.

He said there is a lot at stake for Solomon Islands because global action against climate change is currently slow.

At COP23, leaders from around the world are discussing ways to speed up climate action to meet the goals of last year’s Paris Agreement.

Mr Beck said he hopes Fiji’s presidency of the conference will give more weight to the issues faced by Pacific Island states.

Engaging with everyone is an important step in mitigating the effects of climate change, Mr Beck said.

“Whatever we do, we cannot solve it ourselves,” he said. “It needs the cooperation of all our neighbors, all the world.”