19 November 2025, Belem - Kiribati, a country made up of some of the lowest lying atolls in the world, and facing some of the biggest climate change impacts, has urged global leaders gathering in Belem Brazil to show that multilateralism is alive by ensuring the 1.5 target to stay alive remains unshakeable.
What’s more, that 1.5 target should become the “scientific compass” that guides all decisions to ensure the ‘COP of truth’ in Belem ends with tangible outcomes that protect the future of humanity. 
Speaking during the resumed High Level Segment of COP30 on Tuesday, Ms. Josephine Moote, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kiribati to the United Nations, lamented that although the COP30 marks a decade since the Paris Agreement, the latest IPCC reports show that the climate change crisis is accelerating.
“Progress remains constrained by insufficient finance, weak enforcement, and political hesitation. Transitioning away from fossil fuel and mobilising the New Collective Quantified Goal of at least USD 300 billion per year by 2035, remains unfulfilled,” she said.
Kiribati, a nation of three archipelagos and a total land mass of approximately 811km2, is amongst the communities already feeling the brunt of the climate crisis.
The nation is facing an increasing number of storms and cyclones with rising sea waters threatening the nation’s water supply.
Ms Moote warned that time is of the essence.
“For Kiribati, climate change is not an abstract concern; it is a lived reality,” she said. “Each encroaching wave erodes our heritage, our livelihoods, and disrupts our basic human right to access clean and quality drinking water and food.”
Ms Moote and her delegation are amongst Pacific delegations engaging in two weeks of crucial negotiations on tackling the climate crisis with urgency and ambition, to ensure the goal of 1.5 to stay alive.
They have been amplifying Kiribati’s priorities and the one Pacific voice inside the negotiation rooms, the side events and every where they have had the chance to speak and engage.
“We mark the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement here in Belem. We must show the world that multilateralism is alive and strong, and that the 1.5°C target remains the unshakable moral and scientific compass of our time,” she said.
Back home in Tarawa, Ms Moote said Kiribati is already doing its bid to address the impacts.,
“We do not stand as victims, we stand with resolve,” she said.
“Kiribati’s national vision, Te Motinnano, and our Kiribati Vision 20 align our development pathway with resilience, sustainability, and justice.”
In Belem Brazil, Kiribati is calling on the COP Presidency and all the delegates to deliver bold moves and urgent actions to keep 1.5°C alive, scale up loss and damage funding, establish a dedicated ocean–climate finance mechanism to protect the marine ecosystems and commit to a transition that is just, inclusive and protects workers, supports communities and leaves no one behind.
“Underpinning it all, the reform of global climate finance architecture is critical to make it more direct, transparent, and truly responsive to the realities of SIDS. Complex procedures, high transaction costs, and delayed disbursements must give way to simplified, fast-track access,” she said.
Kiribati also cited the recent ICJ Advisory Opinion confirming that all States have a binding obligation to pursue deep, rapid, and sustained emission reductions consistent with 1.5°C, including delivering on climate finance obligations.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to Your Excellency President Lula and the great nation of Brazil for your visionary leadership,” she said. “We place our confidence in your stewardship to deliver a historic COP, one that transforms words into action and ambition into implementation.”
The 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place from 10-21 November 2025 in Belem, Brazil.
It is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.
Support for our Pacific Islands at COP30 from members of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) is through the One CROP mechanism led by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
Members of one CROP include: The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) – Lead, Pacific Islands Development Program, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, Pacific Community.
A key part of amplifying the One Pacific Voice at COP30 is the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office. The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COP30 is a Pacific partnership with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
The Pacific Delegation Office at COP30 is a Pacific partnership with the New Zealand Government managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
To learn more about the Pacific at COP30 please visit: https://www.sprep.org/cop30