Fijian leader urges Australia to do more on climate change

Fiji and other Pacific island nations are particularly vulnerable to climate change. (File/AFP)
  • Voreqe Bainimarama said in a speech at the Australian Defense College on Monday that he hopes Fiji and Australia can 鈥渇ind more common ground鈥� on climate change

CANBERRA: Fiji鈥檚 prime minister has used a state visit to urge Australia to take more ambitious actions to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

Voreqe Bainimarama said in a speech at the Australian Defense College on Monday that he hopes Fiji and Australia can 鈥渇ind more common ground鈥� on climate change.

Fiji and other Pacific island nations are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Bainimarama鈥檚 visit comes as Australia鈥檚 center-left opposition mulls abandoning its policy of reducing Australia鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison鈥檚 conservative coalition won a surprise third term in May elections with a commitment to reduce emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent in the same time frame.

Bainimarama met Morrison at Parliament House on Monday.