A group of climate activists have launched a campaign to bring more attention to the impacts of climate change on the Pacific region.

The Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (P.I.S.F.C.C) had launched a petition that calls upon leaders of Pacific Island nations, as well as Australia and New Zealand to commence the process of seeking an advisory opinion on human rights and climate change from the International Court of Justice.

In a response to Samoa Observer email queries, campaigner for P.I.S.F.C.C Vishal Prasad stated that the #EndorseTheAO is a P.I.S.F.C.C campaign that is centered around seeking the endorsement of an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion (ICJAO) from the Pacific Island Forum leaders.

“In 2019, the PIF Leaders Communiqué noted the proposal to seek an ICJAO positively and we would like leaders to take the next step by endorsing the proposal,” Mr. Prasad said.

“This campaign includes a number of media, awareness and outreach activities, all geared towards getting the youth voice and public concerns heard by the leaders. Some activities include social media awareness through videos, animations, petition and photo contests along with newspaper op-eds and advertisements that is aiming to help people better understand and support the campaign.

“The PISFCC petition is one of the main elements of the #EndorseTheAO campaign. We are working to get the support of as many Pacific Islanders for an ICJAO which would then be submitted to our leaders in a bid to seek their support for the campaign. The petition is a perhaps the simplest way for everyone to make their voice heard and take action on climate justice.”

Asked about the definition of climate justice, he said that it is the understanding of the root causes of the climate crisis while taking a holistic approach to the responses to meaningfully avert the climate crisis and also creating a just, fair and equitable future for all people.

“The heart of climate justice highlights the injustices of the climate crisis where countries who have contributed the least to the climate crisis are the ones bearing the brunt of the consequences,” he said.

“The injustices run deeper, with those contributing most to the climate crisis although fully aware about the problem are still prioritizing their political and economic interest above the rest of humanity. For the Pacific, climate justice is of utmost importance because for us, the threat is existential where our basic human rights to life, water, food and health are all undermined.

He said that climate change now impacts all regions as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (I.P.C.C) AR6 report, unlike wealthier nations, Pacific Island nations are finding it difficult to cope with climate impacts and simultaneously meeting our commitments to addressing climate change.

“Climate justice in this sense would therefore mean developed nations doing their part in phasing our emissions and providing frontline countries with adequate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building support to mitigate and adapt to the growing threats of the climate crisis,” Mr. Prasad said.

Mr. Prasad said that once Pacific leaders commence the process of seeking an advisory opinion, it would signal to the world a new dimension in the climate fight.

“It will allow Pacific countries to once again lead the world in creative, and effective solutions to addressing the climate crisis,” he said.

“For the Pacific, it would provide hope that the human rights and intergenerational equity concerns along with several other climate induced challenges can be clarified by the court and in doing so it could also motivate greater climate action by all states.”

“It should also be noted that commencing the process of seeking an advisory opinion will not jeapordise the UNFCCC negotiations framework. Instead, the AO would be a great complement and ally to the negotiation process and mechanisms which, despite the AO, remain the primary avenue for addressing the climate crisis. In other words, the process of seeking an AO would bolster the position of Pacific states when engaging in international climate negotiations.”

The I.P.C.C recently found that within the next two decades, global temperatures are likely to rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, the report finds. Such a rise would bring about widespread environmental destruction and extreme weather.

But the report finds there is a slim chance that the world could stop temperatures rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius that must be immediately grasped, suggesting the world is at a tipping point on climate disaster.

The I.P.C.C.’s comprehensive assessment of the state of climate science was published on Monday local time - the sixth I.P.C.C. report since 1988 and has been the product of eight years’ research. It is the first installment of ongoing research, the final version of which will be released next year.

The report found that In the western Pacific, sea levels rose faster than anywhere else in the world between 1993 and 2015.

By 2100, the effect on Pacific communities will be disastrous, the report says. What are now once-a-century flooding events will become annual or more frequently if we continue on our current climate path.

Asked for a comment on the report, Mr. Prasad report affirms that it is beyond all doubt that human activities and influence are the primary causes for the dangerous interference of the global climate system.

“The report goes on to show that all regions across the world. Due to climate change, human communities everywhere on Earth are affected by extreme weather events that are longer, more intense and more frequent,” he said.

According to him, the planet has warmed by 1.1C since pre-industrial times and if current warming continues, Earth will exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold of warming and reach 2C by 2050, which will further intensify the severity of extreme weather.

“For all 195 countries, the IPCC report reinforces a duty of care to respond to this warning as the final call to gusto for meaningful action to avoid irreversible climate change that would lead to an inhospitable world.

“We welcome and thank the work of the IPCC and the global scientific community who have faithfully played their part and it is now time for all stakeholders including governments, non-state actors and even individuals to play our part.”

The petition has now gathered more than 7,000 signatures but Mr. Prasad said they won’t stop there.

“The goal of the petition does not stop at 7,500 signatures. We would like to get as many signatures as possible and while this momentum is building through our digital campaigns, our ultimate aim is to present the petitions to all the leaders of the Pacific in a bid to seek their endorsement,” he said.

“Along with the petitions, we are working to continue educating Pacific Islanders on the interconnectedness of the climate change and human rights. We see this as a mechanism to gather support as well while providing much needed awareness on this issue.”