Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she expects this year's forum to be dominated by talk of climate change. Photo / Jason Walls
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she expects this year's forum to be dominated by talk of climate change. Photo / Jason Walls
Within moments of touching down in Tuvalu for the Pacific Islands Forum, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was issued a challenge by a group of local children.
"Save Tuvalu, save the world."
These were the lyrics the children sang as the Prime Minister got off the plane and was welcomed inthe nation's capital, Funafuti.
Many of the children were submerged in water when they came face-to-face with Ardern.
Tuvalu's highest point is just four meters above sea level and it is one of the world's most vulnerable countries when it comes to rising sea levels.
She said it was right the conversation should be dominated by the voices of young people.
They were the next generation's leaders and Tuvalu was sending a strong message by putting its youth front and centre, Ardern said.
"The issue of climate change falls upon the shoulders of the next generation and children – I can see why Tuvalu would want to impart that message strongly and [want to] have the children share that message themselves."
Ardern's media stand-up drew quite a crowd, with international reporters grilling her as onlookers watched on.
New Zealand is the second-largest nation at the forum, after Australia.
Climate change is an issue that is set to dominate the annual meeting this year.
Ardern will be in Tuvalu until Friday.
She has bilateral meetings with a number of Pacific Island leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
There has already been discussion about the phasing out of coal in Pacific Island countries.
Prime Minsiter Jacinda Ardern talks to children submerged in water, asking Pacific leaders to do more on climate change. Photo / Jason Walls
Some members of the forum are calling for an end to coal mining altogether.
Day's before Ardern's arrival, Morrison's announcement that Australia would be providing $500 million in climate change funding for the Pacific appeared to fall on deaf ears.
"No matter how much money you put on the table, it doesn't give you the excuse to not to do the right thing, which is to cut down on your emissions, including not opening your coal mines," Enele Sopoaga, Tuvalu's Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum chairwoman said this week.
"That is the thing that we want to see,"
Asked about this by media, Ardern was reluctant to comment.
"Issues around Australia's domestic policy are issues for Australia," she said.
But when it comes to New Zealand, she said New Zealand was doing its part.
Ardern cited work to move New Zealand into 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2035.
But she said there was more work that needed to be done, including passing the Zero Carbon Bill and moving to get agriculture into the emissions trading scheme.
"But in every single significant, difficult area we have started those conversations and said 'under this Government, we know things need to change, because this region knows things need to change."
