Pacific

Pacific island states in fight to seek "climate justice"

10:18 am on 9 June 2015

Several Pacific island countries have joined forces with the Philippines in a vow to hold big fossil fuel users to account for driving climate change.

Greenpeace says representatives from Tuvalu, Kiribati, Fiji and Solomon Islands have signed a declaration seeking what is being called "climate justice".

The President of Vanuatu Baldwin Londsdale was present at the signing and took receipt of the petition.

The pledge came as the group met on board the Greenpeace vessel, Rainbow Warrior, in Vanuatu to discuss climate change and human rights.

The Rainbow Warrior Photo: Greenpeace New Zealand

A former climate negotiator and mayors from the Philippines were also on board to talk about their experience in recent devastating super typhoons.

Greenpeace is to petition the Philippine Commission on Human Rights for an investigation into so-called Carbon Major entities who are said to be responsible for extracting most of the fossil fuels that have been burned over the past 150 years.