Anote Tong, from Kiribati: climate message to Australia at #COP25.

A message to Australia from Anote Tong, diplomat and former president of Kiribati at COP25, recorded Tuesday 10 December. "It is not a numbers game, but a game of survival" Discussing Australia's pacific pivot and leadership role in the Pacific undermined by climate change. Australia should take leadership role more seriously. Next steps for Australia: to show the world there are other ways, development of renewable energy, the problem of preoccupation on coal, need for creating new jobs as coal is phased out, a more innovative approach needed, new investment. Progress in international negotiations since Paris 2015, through the lens of the plight of Pacific Island Nations. There was Hope after Paris. We have seen a lot of things happening. Fires are not new to Australia, but the intensity and frequency of fires is new. Whats happening in Australia is going to get a lot worse. Pacific impacts: Living with flooding is not new, but the increased frequency is new. The intensity it is happening is new. We are hearing now 20m sea level is in the pipeline, we have no mountains to climb. Message to World Leaders? Who are we negotiating against? because nature is not taking part in this negotiation. Scientists are speaking on behalf of nature. What we need to do is be sincere about what is happeniing here, do the most we can to avoid this catastrophe. We need to change the narrative. Message for Australia: It is not a numbers game, but a game of survival. You need to truly understand that. Those who have lost their homes to fires, what can you say? They have already fallen off the front.