14 Pacific Island Nations Considering World's First Ban on Fossil Fuels
Fourteen Pacific island nations are currently considering the world’s first ban on fossil fuels. The measure is part of a climate treaty that would embrace the historic Paris climate deal and design a roadmap to meet the international goals. The proposed agreement up for discussion at the annual leaders’ summit of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) would ban new coal mines, create targets for renewable energy growth, and set limits for temperature increases. Insiders are optimistic that the treaty will progress, as national leaders have so far responded positively.
“They seemed convinced that this is an avenue where the Pacific could again show or build on the moral and political leadership that they’ve shown earlier in their efforts to tackle climate change,” Mahendra Kumar, climate change adviser to PIDF, told The Guardian. Kumar said the treaty, written by a group of non-governmental organizations called the Pacific Island Climate Action Network (PICAN), will undergo several rounds of consultations leading to a report at next year’s summit. The earliest the climate treaty would go into effect, according to Kumar, is 2018.
RodBland