In the light of Vanuatu’s call for globally phasing out of fossil fuels, discuss the impacts of the climate crisis on small island nations. How COP27 address this problem?

The President of Vanuatu, a small pacific island nation recently made a call for first-of-its-kind global treaty for non-proliferation of fossil fuels in the upcoming COP27, to be held at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

Threats faced by small island nations like Vanuatu:

• The small island countries will be the first to feel the disastrous impacts of sea level rise due to global warming.
• The economies of such island nations are very small and mostly depend on tourism, which will be greatly impacted by global warming.
• The livelihood and even sustenance of people living on these islands is under grave threat.

Role of COP27:

• COP27 to UNFCCC can has all the potential to become a stage for such an ambitious treaty.
• However, there is a possibility that COP27 may not even discuss climate change mitigation, on account of the ongoing energy crisis in Europe.
• The energy crisis fuelled due to ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has considerably dented every nation’s ability to reduce emissions.

Way forward:

The concerns of small island nations like Vanuatu are similar to the concerns of India regarding its coastal areas. The call for “Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)” by India supports this cause and must be implemented across the globe.