“Every day we are experiencing more debilitating consequences of the climate crisis. Fundamental human rights are being violated, and we are measuring climate change not in degrees of Celsius or tons of carbon, but in human lives. This emergency is of our own making. Our youth are terrified of the future world we are handing to them through expanding fossil fuel dependency, compromising intergenerational trust and equity. We call for the development of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase down coal, oil and gas production in line with 1.5ºC, and enable a global just transition for every worker, community and nation with fossil fuel dependence.”

“Some may ask: why would the president of this country want to commit suicide with an economy that relies on fossil fuels? Being here, we are trying to halt a suicide, the death of everything that is alive, everything that exists. This is not economic suicide. We are avoiding the omnicide of the world, of planet Earth. There is no other formula, no other path. Everything else is an illusion.”

“The science is very clear – atmospheric temperatures continue to rise due to the increasing emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels. Therefore, phasing out fossil fuels is crucial to global efforts to reduce carbon 
emissions and curb global warming. Towards that objective, Tuvalu and several other like-minded nations are leading the promotion for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty 
Initiative. The initiative is to garner international support on a binding treaty arrangement that regulates and limits the use of fossil fuel with the ultimate objective of total phase out.”