The President of Kiribati says he is frustrated by Australia's indifference to the plight of countries vulnerable to climate change.
The president of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, at the 2019 Pacific Islands Forum summit in Tuvalu. Photo: RNZ / Jamie Tahana
Taneti Maamau said his concern stemmed from Australia's lack of commitment to eliminating coal production at the recent Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu.
Having faced the climate crisis for a long time, Kiribati's people supported efforts to strengthen adaptation and resilience in order to stay and safeguard their country's sovereignty, Mr Maamau said.
But the focus on building the adaptive capacity of I-Kiriabati had raised doubts from the international community, he said.
The president said that even though the science behind the sinking narrative was uncertain, Kiribati was doing all it could to ensure its people prospered as they continued to fight climate change.
President Maamau is attending the UN General Assembly to raise the plight of atoll nations and the ambitions of vulnerable islands like Kiribati.