Palau's president has told world leaders at COP26 they may as well drop bombs on the Pacific if they do not agree to radical climate action.
Surangel Whipps junior was speaking on the second and final day of the leaders summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr speaking at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Photo: UN
Because of the pandemic Mr Whipps is one of only four Pacific Islands leaders to make it to the climate negotiations, the others being Tuvalu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
"Our resources are disappearing before our eyes and our future is being robbed from us. Frankly speaking there is no dignity to a slow and painful death. You might as well bomb our islands instead of making us suffer only to witness our slow and fateful demise."
Countries have already announced major deals, including a global pledge to slash methane levels by 2030 as well as to end and reverse deforestation by the same year.
Mr Whipps said world leaders needed to significantly increase global climate financing.
The developed nations are already behind on their promise to mobilise $100 billion per year in climate change financing from the year 2020.
But Mr Whipps says to match today's climate reality they need to deliver on that and then some.
"We the island that are devastated most, demand that your commitments of 100 billion dollars annually be increased to meet the 4 trillion dollars the World Bank reports is needed," he said.
Pacific children demand action
Three Pacific children have helped draw up a complaint to the United Nations protesting the lack of government action on the climate crisis.
Samoa's Supreme Court Justice, Vui Clarence Nelson, attended the Rights of the Child Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, it's first in-person meeting since March 2020.
The 16 child petitioners are from 12 countries and their complaint it is one of the issues on the next meeting on November 26th with a special focus on Climate Change and its implications for children.
Of the 16, three are from the Pacific - two from the Marshall Islands and one from Palau.
Justice Vui said this is the first time the Committee has recognised it has jurisdiction to deal with the complaint.
It has been recognised as a milestone international law decision in setting a precedent that may be the precursor to many future climate related complaints.