Pacific delegates at the Climate Change conference in Bonn, Germany, COP23, are making their voices heard loud and clear.
With Fiji Prime Minister Frank Banimarama as president of the international conference, the Pacific islands have capitalized on the leadership role to illustrate what is happening in small islands that dot the biggest ocean due to climate change.
Among the team of journalists from the Pacific that’s covering the conference is Joyetter Feagaimaalii Luamanu, formerly of KHJ News and Samoa News, and now chief reporter of Samoa Observer newspaper .
Joyetter talked to PM Banimarama about his leadership role and how the islands are getting the attention of world leaders in Bonn
Play Audio
American Samoa is not at the Bonn Conference but is a member of the United States Climate Alliance (USAC).
The Alliance aims to uphold U.S. commitments under the Paris Agreement, which President Trump has announced, the US will withdraw from.
American Samoa joined the Alliance in September as the 16th member.
The territory is also a member of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program, SPREP.
Governor Lolo declared in an executive order that as a remote island territory, American Samoa strongly believes in the power of alliances and partnerships to address complex issues such as climate change and so has joined the USAC.
American Samoa has a Climate Change Task Force, headed by the Director of Marine and Wildlife Resources.
The task force has identified sea level rise as the biggest climate change threat to American Samoa.
