SUVA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting ended with a landmark regional climate finance facility, but a sour taste of "Australian climate hypocrisy," reported Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Sunday.
Despite promising a Pacific partnership in tackling the climate crisis, the Australian government simultaneously approved the extension of the North West Shelf gas project from 2030 to 2070, the FBC said.
This decision raised eyebrows among climate activists and leaders in the Pacific, who view it as contradictory to Australia's stated dedication to climate action.
The meeting saw the Pacific Resilience Facility formally established as a means of accessing direct, grant-based finance for communities grappling with the impacts of climate change.
Vanuatu's Climate Change Adaptation Minister Ralph Regevanu recently cautioned Australia against the extension of the gas project, citing international legal obligations to prevent climate harm, now outlined by the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on climate change.
Fenton Lutunatabua, deputy head of regions at 350.org, an international environmental organization, said Australia's decision is a "blatant betrayal" of the Pacific region, noting that the Australian government has locked the region into over 4 billion tons of carbon emissions, while shaking its hands for "Pacific partnerships".
Lutunatabua emphasized that this decision would have long-term repercussions for Australia, especially as the country positions itself as a potential president for the upcoming COP31 climate summit.
Approving a carbon bomb like the North West Shelf gas extension is far from climate leadership, he said.
The 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting was held in Honiara, the Solomon Islands, last week.
Founded in 1971, the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum aims to address pressing issues and challenges, and foster collaboration and cooperation between countries and territories of the Pacific region. ■