By Faridat Salifu
Tuvalu’s Minister of Climate Change Maina Talia has called for immediate global action and financial support to help his country survive the growing threat of rising sea levels.
Speaking with Al Jazeera during the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, Talia said Tuvalu, a nation of nine low-lying atolls and islands between Australia and Hawaii, is fighting to stay above water as climate change accelerates.
“Coming from a country that is barely not one metre above the sea, reclaiming land and building sea walls and building our resilience is the number one priority for us,” he said.
He warned that the time for promises has passed and urged wealthy nations to deliver “real commitments” through climate finance that can help Tuvaluans remain in their homeland.
“We cannot delay any more. Climate finance is important for our survival,” Talia said.
He stressed that the country needs funds “not over the next two or three years” but immediately, to respond to the climate crisis before it worsens.
The minister said the issue of financing will be central to the upcoming United Nations COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, in November.
Tuvalu is among several island states demanding stronger commitments from industrialized countries after last year’s COP meeting in Azerbaijan set what many called an unambitious $300bn target for global climate finance.
Talia accused oil-producing nations of dominating the talks and weakening language on emissions and financing.
“They take control of the narrative. They take control of the process. They try to water down all the texts. They try to put a stop to climate finance,” he said.
He added that small developing countries like Tuvalu were being silenced at meetings that increasingly resemble “festivals for the oil-producing countries.”
“It’s about time that we should call out to the world that finance is important for us to survive,” he said.
Talia reiterated the “polluter pays” principle, saying nations responsible for the climate crisis must bear the cost of addressing it.
He criticized global powers for spending “billions and trillions of dollars in wars and conflicts” while vulnerable nations struggle to stay afloat.
A report by the Global Center on Adaptation found that 39 small island countries, home to around 65 million people, need $12bn a year to cope with climate impacts but currently receive only about $2bn—just 0.2 percent of total global climate finance.
Tuvalu, home to fewer than 10,000 people, faces some of the most severe risks from sea-level rise but continues to lead global advocacy efforts.
The island nation is championing a proposed Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which now has the support of about 16 countries, including Colombia.
“We want to grow in number in order for us to come up with a treaty, apart from the Paris Agreement,” Talia said.
He also confirmed that Tuvalu recently submitted a proposal to UNESCO to list the entire nation as a World Heritage site, part of efforts to digitally preserve its culture and identity.
“If we are to disappear, which is something that we don’t want to anticipate, at least our values, our culture and heritage are well secured,” he said.
Talia emphasized that Tuvalu’s 2023 Falepili Agreement with Australia, which includes the world’s first climate change migration visa, should not be viewed as an escape plan but as “a pathway” for Tuvaluans to gain education and training before returning home.
He noted that the agreement affirms Tuvalu’s statehood and sovereignty despite the impacts of sea-level rise.
Talia welcomed a recent International Court of Justice ruling that states have a duty to cooperate to cut emissions and protect vulnerable nations.
“The highest court has spoken, the highest court has delivered the judgment,” he said.
He added that countries must now integrate the court’s guidance into their policies and be held accountable for their actions.
“We need to hold the industrialised countries accountable to their actions,” he said.
