The Marshall Islands has warned that exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit, even temporarily, would put vulnerable communities at greater risk and increase the pressure on countries already facing severe climate impacts.
Marshall Islands Minister in-Assistance to the President and Environment, Jess Gasper Jr told a High Ambition Coalition press conference at COP31 that the 1.5-degree target was not simply a scientific benchmark but a matter of people’s lives, communities and survival.
Minister Gasper said the Marshall Islands was already experiencing the consequences of climate change and warned that a temporary overshoot of the 1.5-degree threshold would bring further dangers.
He called on countries to follow the science, increase support for vulnerable nations and commit to bringing global temperatures back below the 1.5-degree limit.
Gasper linked the country’s climate vulnerability to its history of nuclear testing, saying he came from Bikini, one of the major nuclear testing sites in the Pacific.
The legacy of nuclear testing continues to affect the people of Bikini, who have yet to return to their homeland.
He said this history reinforced the Marshall Islands’ determination to prevent another generation from being forced from their homes because of decisions made beyond their control.
The Minister stressed that relocation was not an option for the Marshall Islands, with adaptation remaining the country’s priority.
His remarks highlighted the need for COP31 negotiations to recognise the consequences of exceeding 1.5 degrees and ensure that vulnerable countries receive the support needed to respond to worsening climate impacts.
The Marshall Islands is calling for stronger international action to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive and prevent climate change from creating further displacement and loss across the Pacific.
