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In it, he expresses frustration that pledges made in Copenhagen have been largely unfulfilled and that there has been little real progress since last year's meeting. President Tong draws attention to the plight of the most vulnerable nations, calling them an "early warning to the international community", and calls for an inclusive approach as a way forward. President Tong stresses the need for urgent action, calling upon the international community to stop treating the matter as "business as usual." His appeal to delegates is that; "The whole world and in particular the most vulnerable states in the frontline of the climate crisis are looking to Cancun to provide the global leadership needed for urgent action to ensure the survival of humanity—this is a struggle for humanity " See complete text...
The side event intends to showcase some of the work being undertaken by members of the United Nations system to support adaptation in developing countries, with a view to demonstrating that the United Nations stands ready to provide the support required to implement enhanced adaptation actions within a new climate regime. See complete text... Office of the President, Ambo, Kiribati, 12 November 2010—Kiribati's Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) ended this week by giving birth to the Ambo Declaration, a resolution of grave concern on the climate crisis calling for an immediate action on climate change funds. The one-day intensive talks dragged on to the late hours of the evening, before delegates from frontline states such as the Maldives and the Marshall Islands and major developing nations, including Brazil and China, agreed on 18 points. See complete text... Office of the President, Tarawa, Kiribati, 26 October 2010—Kiribati's conference on Climate Change, designated the Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) is now geared up to get underway from the 9th to 11th November after the confirmation of participation of 15 countries, with more expected to confirm in the coming days. See complete text... Tarawa, Kiribati, 1 September 2010—His Excellency the President of Kiribati Mr Anote Tong is pleased to host the next session of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, designated the Tarawa Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Tarawa, the capital of the atoll nation of Kiribati, from the 9th to the 11th November. The conference will bring together selected representatives from the key negotiating groups within the UNFCCC process to attend a one day high level conference on climate change. See complete text... Tarawa, Kiribati, 10 August 2010—The lives of over 40,000 people in South Tarawa, Kiribati are linked by a single road. It provides not only transport but a vital connection to supplies, schools, hospitals and the airport. Upon arrival, it is impossible not to notice the fragility of this crucial logistical link that is often literally crumbling into the lagoon. In some areas the adjacent main water supply pipeline has been uncovered and is also at risk due to coastal erosion. See complete text... |
Office of the President, Kiribati, 5 September 2011—UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, today stressed that climate change posed the most serious threat to the livelihoods, security and survival of the island nation's residents and the inhabitants of the wider Pacific region, saying the phenomenon was undermining efforts to achieve sustainable development. Both leaders reaffirmed the need for urgent international action to reduce emissions of the harmful greenhouse gases and underlined the need make climate change adaptation funding available to finance the implementation of critical programmes to tackle the impact of climate change on communities there. See complete text...
The seedlings were planted through an activity funded by KAPII (Kiribati Adaptation Program Phase II) under the supervision of the Government of Kiribati's Environment and Conservation Division. Turang Favae, Acting Biodiversity and Conservation Officer at the Environment and Conservation Division says, "First and foremost it contributes to the building of coastlines and protects our shores against coastal erosion." Mangroves, although considered a 'soft' option when compared to seawalls, can be one of the most effective forms of coastal protection that in addition provide a range of other benefits. See complete text...
Each year after a long dry season, significant rainfall is generally expected to arrive during November or December. Yet over the last few months only a tiny amount of rain has fallen. The islands are dry. This is consistent with forecasts that predict La Niña conditions will result in below normal rainfall during the 2010-11 wet season across the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati. "We are likely to see drought conditions for most of the Gilbert Group. In the last La Niña in 2007-08 there were drought conditions that went on for 15-16 months during that time," Douglas Ramsay, Manager for the Pacific Rim at NIWA, the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research explains. See complete text... Secretariet of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Cancun, Mexico, November 30, 2010—Kiribati shared a powerful message at the Climate Change talks in Cancun, reminding the world that when it comes to climate change adaptation, a one size fits all solution will not work. The intervention was made on the Nairobi Work Programme (2005 – 2010) which was designed to help countries improve their understanding and assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. The five year programme also had the goal to help with making informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and measures to respond to climate change. It was designed to help all parties, in particular the developing countries including the least developed countries (LDC's) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). See complete text...
ABC Radio Australia, November 11, 2010—After an intensive day of deliberations the Tarawa Climate Change Conference in Kiribati has ended on a high with the signing of the Ambo Declaration. Delegates from both the vulnerable nations and some major economies have agreed on 18 points, with China the biggest of them. Significantly all the signatories have registered their alarm at the impact of climate change. See a transcript here, or click the play button on the audio player to listen to the broadcast:
Associated Press, November 10, 2010—Small island developing states called Thursday for urgent funding to help combat sea level changes that are already damaging many coastal communities. At a climate change conference in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati, President Anote Tong called for the quick release of funds to help vulnerable states deal with climate change impacts. See complete text... Radio New Zealand, November 10, 2010—Delegates at the Kiribati Climate Change Conference in Tarawa have issued a declaration. The Ambo Declaration is slated to be a non legally binding agreement between the nations to present at the upcoming United Nations climate change summit in Mexico After drafting the declaration at the 19-nation Tarawa Climate Change Conference yesterday, 13 officials spent more than two hours deliberating the document, led by resistance from China. The declaration covers the urgency of addressing the immediate effects of climate change, the need for fast funding to combat these concerns in vulnerable nations, and agrees upon an aim to make concrete decisions at the meeting in Cancun. See complete text... National Public Radio, November 10—Fifteen countries signed a declaration today in Tarawa, the capital of the tiny island nation of Kiribati, recognizing the increasingly dire situation faced by small island countries due to climate change. The Ambo Declaration, named for the village where Kiribati's Parliament House is located, is the final product of the Tarawa Climate Change Conference — a gathering that Kiribati President Anote Tong hopes will spotlight how vulnerable his nation is to any rise in sea levels and severe weather. See complete text... |
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Copenhagen, Denmark: 14 December 2009—Kiribati President Anote Tong says history has seen nations lose their sovereignty and human rights through warfare and actions of aggressive neighbours; the effects of climate change will be just the same as if Kiribati had been attacked by a very hostile and deadly enemy. See complete text... Copenhagen, Denmark, 9 December 2009—The delegation from Kiribati held a very successful side event at the COP15 conference on Wednesday, the 9th of December that was widely covered in media throughout the world. See complete text and video coverage... Malé, Republic of Maldives's, 10 November 2009—As a Leader of one of the most vulnerable Small Island Developing States, I am obliged – indeed I have a duty to the people I serve—to provide options for my people and to prepare them for the worst case scenario. This is a duty that we all share as Leaders and governments of the most vulnerable countries. We are the human face of climate change. We represent the frontline in the queue of casualties and if the world continues with business as usual then there is no doubt that other countries will be next on the frontline and eventually the whole of humanity will be on the frontline. See complete text... New York, 26 September 2009—President H.E. Mr Anote Tong addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations on the 26th of September 2009. In his speech, he declared that climate change was the greatest moral challenge of our time, and the world could not afford the consequences of inaction. The people of his country were already feeling the impacts of climate change, which he said would only worsen with time. “We, together with those of other low-lying States, are the human face of climate change.” See complete text... |
Australian Associated Press, November 10—International delegates gathered in the tiny island nation of Kiribati agree that climate change is a critical issue that must be addressed with more urgency. The Ambo Declaration, named after the village in Kiribati where parliament sits, was slated to be a non-legally-binding agreement between the nations to present at the larger international climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico. See complete text... ABC Radio Australia, November 10—The speaker of the Kiribati Parliament has called for the 18 countries taking part in the Tarawa Climate Change talks to reach a consensus and agree on common goals. The meeting ahead of the Cancun global summit features delegates from vulnerable countries and some of the world's major economies.. See a transcript here, or click the play button on the audio player to listen to the broadcast:
The Guardian, November 9—Kiribati, a chain of low-lying South Pacific islands, is to host a conference addressing the impacts of climate change on some of the world's most vulnerable countries. See complete text... The Guardian, November 9—Water supplies are contaminated and sea levels are rising – and the rainy season is more extreme than ever. This is the reality of life on a small island as the climate changes. See complete text... ABC Radio Australia, November 9—Kiribati is hosting an international climate change conference. The Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) will bring together officials from the region's most vulnerable states as well as from the larger economies of Brazil, China and Australia. They'll spend the week assessing the impact climate change is having on the Pacific. Shortly before officially opening the conference, Kiribati President's Anote Tong, spoke to Geraldine Coutts of Radio Australia. See a transcript of the interview or listen to the piece here.
Sky News, November 9—Officials from around the world, including a team of delegates from Australia, will fly in to the tiny atoll nation of Kiribati on Tuesday afternoon in a bid form a unified front on climate change. Senior officials from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will join Australia's High Commissioner to Kiribati and AusAid representatives in Kiribati's capital - Tarawa - for the Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC). The focus of the TCCC is 'to agree on common points of interest and forge a path towards addressing the impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable states,' a DFAT spokeswoman told AAP. See complete text... Television New Zealand, November 9—Kiribati, a chain of low-lying South Pacific islands, is to host a conference addressing the impacts of climate change on some of the world's most vulnerable countries. See complete text... The Age/Australian Associated Press, November 5—About 40 officials from around the world will fly to the tiny atoll nation of Kiribati next week, to take a look at the immediate impact climate change is having on the Pacific nation. Representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with AusAid senior officials, will join delegates from 19 nations including New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Cuba, the European Union and various Asian countries, at a three-day talkfest in the nation's capital Tarawa. The Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC), kicking off next Tuesday, hopes to amplify the need to address climate change concerns immediately, said Andrew Teem, a senior policy adviser to the Kiribati president. See complete text... Sydney Morning Herald & 9News Australia, October 27, 2010—Australia is among 15 countries that will be represented at a climate change conference in Kiribati next month. The tiny island of Kiribati, which is already being swamped by rising sea levels, will host the Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) from November 9 until November 11. The three day talkfest - slated at the 41st Pacific Islands Forum in August - will aim to forge a unified voice among Pacific nations ahead of a global summit on climate change in Cancun, Mexico later this year. See complete text in the SMH, or on 9News.... Radio New Zealand, October 26, 2010—So far 15 countries, including a number from the Pacific along with China, Canada and the United Kingdom have committed to attend a climate change conference in Kiribati next month. The Tarawa Climate Change Conference aims to consolidate a common position ahead of the next UN conference on global warming in Cancun in Mexico in December. See complete text... Radio New Zealand, October 13, 2010—The Kiribati Government, which next month hosts climate specialists for a preliminary meeting ahead of the COP 16 summit in Mexico, says maintaining the status quo on climate change negotiations is not an option. At the meetings in Tarawa on the 9th and 10th of November selected representatives from within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are being brought together. See complete text... Radio New Zealand, September 29, 2010—Kiribati’s president has called on world leaders to work towards a legally binding framework on climate change at December’s summit in Mexico. Anote Tong was speaking to the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. He says last year’s Copenhagen meeting failed to meet the expectations of many but especially those countries on the frontline. Mr Tong says leaders need to modify their approach to negotiations at Mexico. See complete text... Pacific Islands raise climate change concerns at UNRadio Australia, September 27, 2010—A group of Pacific Island nations has pushed to put tackling climate change back on the global agenda, when they raised the issue at the latest meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The next meeting of the UN Forum on Climate Change will take place in Cancun, Mexico later this year. Many Pacific Island nations believe this could be their last chance to get the world's biggest polluters to commit to reducing emissions. See complete text...or, listen to radio item.
mongabay.com, September 15, 2010—Kiribati, a small nation consisting of 33 Pacific island atolls, is forecast to be among the first countries swamped by rising sea levels. Nevertheless, the country recently made an astounding commitment: it closed over 150,000 square miles of its territory to fishing, an activity that accounts for nearly half the government's tax revenue. What moved the tiny country to take this monumental action? President Anote Tong, says Kiribati ("Kir-ee-bas") is sending a message to the world: "We need to make sacrifices to provide a future for our children and grandchildren." See complete text...
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Cancun, Mexico, 8 December 2010—His Excellency Anote Tong, President of the Republic of Kiribati, made a statement today at the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the High Level Segment of the COP 16/CMP6. 
World Bank, South Tarawa, March 29, 2011—Over 37,000 mangrove seedlings have recently been planted on the islands of Aranuka, Butaritari, Maiana, Makin and in North and South Tarawa. 
World Bank, East Asia & Pacific Blog, 25 January 2011—Freshwater can be extremely scarce in the Republic of Kiribati, home to over 100,000 people scattered across 22 islands in the Central Pacific. 
Secretariet of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Cancun, Mexico, November 28, 2010—Kiribati has had a demanding year as the small island nation strengthens its stance at the climate change negotiations. There is a 13 strong delegation that will be in attendance at the UN Climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, led by President Anote Tong. In November this year the Tarawa Climate Change Conference which brought together 18 Small Island Developing States from the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand, resulted in the Ambo Declaration. It is hoped that the Small Islands developing States will take on essential parts of the Ambo declaration to be negotiated for in Cancun. 
The World Bank, September 17, 2010—Aranteiti Tekiau, a research officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development, has recently returned from a trip to the outer islands of Tamana and Tabiteuea North. What he saw whilst diving is causing him great concern. "Unfortunately we found serious coral bleaching at Tamana. The people on the outer islands may not notice it or see what it is. But it definitely has an impact on their lives and getting what they need from the ocean." "If coral health is declining fish abundance will decline as well. This is our main source of food and where we get our protein from. In Kiribati it is especially important that our coral is healthy," stresses Mr. Tekiau. 