• The small Pacific island has declared a climate emergency.
• The prime minister has adopted a 1.2 billion dollar plan to address the environmental crisis.
• Pacific islands are awaiting support from Australia and its new government.

"The Earth is already too hot and unsafe." With this statement, the prime minister of the Vanuatu archipelago, Bob Loughman, declared a climate emergency and adopted a 1.2 billion dollar plan to address the island's environmental crisis. Loughman acknowledged before parliament that the Pacific region is already inexorably threatened by rising sea levels and extreme climate events: "We are already in danger now, not just in the future," he said.

Vanuatu wants international climate legislation

This archipelago, home to 300,000 people, has been hit by two powerful cyclones and a devastating drought over the past ten years. Parliament unanimously backed the climate emergency motion, which follows similar steps already taken by dozens of other countries, including neighbouring Fiji.

The declaration comes as Vanuatu is conducting a diplomatic campaign to seek a legal opinion from the United Nations International Court of Justice on the consequences of global warming. The small Pacific state hopes — even though an ICJ legal opinion is non-binding — to contribute to the adoption of international legislation aimed at future generations regarding the material and human consequences of the climate crisis. This initiative will be discussed at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September.

Support from Australia's new government

As for the plan that has been adopted, the bulk of the funding will need to come from donor countries. During a visit to Fiji, Australia's new Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, promised that her country would soon introduce more ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions and would put itself forward to co-host a climate Cop with the Pacific islands.

Wong also assured that Canberra would not "disrespect" Pacific nations and would "not ignore" calls to action on climate change. Indeed, after nine years in power in Australia, the liberal-conservative coalition was defeated at the elections and replaced by the Labor leader of Italian origin, Anthony Albanese. From a climate perspective, Labor is called upon to confront a political legacy of substantial inaction: who knows whether the Pacific's ecological transition — where every island is grappling with extreme climate events — might not begin precisely with the aid extended to Vanuatu.