We’ll help you weather climate change, Biden tells the Pacific Islands
President Biden told Pacific Island leaders Monday that he is committed to fighting climate change that poses an existential threat to the tiny atolls in danger of being swamped by rising sea levels.
Meeting with members of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, Biden vowed to help the region meet the challenges of climate change, which threatens to wipe some island nations off the face of the Earth.
“The people in the United States and around the world hear you,” Biden said. “We hear your warnings of a rising sea and [that] they pose an existential threat to your nations.”
“You never, never, never will lose your statehood … as a result of a climate crisis,” Biden added.
At the start of a two-day summit, Biden said he has asked Congress to approve $200 million in new aid for the region, including helping the islands prepare for climate hazards and improve infrastructure.
The South Pacific Island nations have mostly been sharply critical of rich countries including the U.S. for not doing enough to rein in climate change despite being historically responsible for much of the problem.
They also accuse international financial institutions of taking advantage of them by doling out profitable loans to mitigate the damage caused by rising seas.
As part of the summit, the U.S. formally established diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue.
“These milestones celebrate areas of change and demonstrate that with unshakable resolve and leadership, remarkable achievements are possible,” Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said.
Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific Islands nations.
At a similar confab last year, the White House unveiled a new strategy to assist the South Pacific’s leaders on pressing issues like climate change, maritime security and protecting the region from overfishing.
The U.S. last year pledged to add $810 million in new aid for Pacific Islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change.