TRANSCRIPT
For climate activist Cynthia Houniuhi, looking out at the ocean is a reminder of her island home.
But rising sea levels and an increase in severe weather events, have made the effects of a changing climate deeply personal.
"I grew up in the Solomon Islands you go to some places and people have already had to relocate - it is a climate crisis, but it's a human rights crisis as well the urgency of the matter is real for us, so the actions we take should reflect that."
Cynthia's advocacy was instrumental in pushing a UN resolution to the International Court of Justice which could hold countries accountable for their climate records.
Carbon emissions produced by the Pacific Islands amount to less than 0.03 per cent of the world's total.
"We want to have children in the future as well, we want to bring them into a sustainable future, a future that we have our lands that they can practice their culture, they have the same childhood that we have and, I worry that I have to go to an extent of okay, here is a picture, this is where I come from."
Doctor Wesley Morgan is with the Climate Council.
"The ICJ campaign puts Australia on notice, that Australia will be needing to do more to cut emissions this decade and move faster away from fossil fuels."
Australia has set targets to reduce domestic emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.
But ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum, climate activists like Joseph Sikulu, the director of 350 Pacific, say it's not enough.
"We always say Australia is a big brother nation in the Pacific, Australia really needs to start acting like that. One of the difficult things about Australia's presence, especially within something like the Pacific Islands Forum, it comes in with a lot of leverage and a lot of power. They should do more to push for the betterment of our region, and betterment of our people."
In a statement to SBS, the Australian minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy said, "the Albanese Government is taking strong action on climate change and stands with the Pacific in recognising the urgency of addressing the climate crisis.
The Government has established a new Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership which is investing in more climate resilient infrastructure, including small scale and off-grid renewable energy projects, across the Pacific whilst also increasing climate finance for developing countries from $2 to 3 billion dollars."
Meeting with the Forum's Secretary General last week, more than 60 Pacific youth activists gathered in Fiji to present their climate demands.
"In the Pacific, they say we are the canary in the coal mine because we've seen it for a long time I worry about our communities a lot ... but I never worry about the spirit we have to try and build the future we want."
A spirit that is echoed by the Pasifika community in Australia.
This is Uniting Moderator, Reverend Mata Havea Hiliau.
"I'm a daughter from the Pacific, I'm aware of direct family and relatives and islands that have been directly impacted, it's not a joke, it's not a drama, it's a crisis."
