“Those blocking climate science are not our friends”: Pacific issues strong warning at Bonn talks

Pacific Island nations have delivered a sharp rebuke to countries attempting to dilute climate ambition at the UN climate negotiations in Bonn. They warned that efforts to disregard scientific evidence threaten the future of the world's most vulnerable communities.

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Let me be absolutely clear, anyone that is blocking references to science, they are not our friends.

Speaking for the 14-member Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) group, Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Sivendra Michael, condemned attempts to remove references to climate science and the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit from negotiation texts. "Let me be absolutely clear, anyone that is blocking references to science, they are not our friends," Dr. Michael declared.

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Scientists are our closest allies. The IPCC is the backbone of our climate diplomacy regime.

Concerns are mounting among Pacific negotiators that the scientific basis for global climate action is under attack at the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB64). Dr. Michael described scientists as the Pacific's "closest allies," emphasizing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as central to climate diplomacy. "There is no equity for the most vulnerable if we fail to protect the science and stay within the 1.5-degree temperature limit," he stated.

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There is no equity for the most vulnerable if we fail to protect the science and stay within the 1.5-degree temperature limit.

Dr. Michael rejected narratives that create a false dichotomy between science and equity, asserting that "Science and equity go hand in hand." For Pacific Island countries already facing rising seas, coastal erosion, and extreme weather, scientific data is crucial for understanding risks and necessary actions. He criticized powerful interests seeking to delay climate action, stating that "Science reveals when the solutions they put forward are false." The group is witnessing coordinated efforts to weaken established language on climate science and temperature goals across various negotiating rooms.

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Science and equity go hand in hand.