The Pacific Islands have been described as on ‘the front lines of this global climate crisis’ by ex-president of the Marshall Islands, Dr Hilda Heine. We are joined by Dr Heine and her daughter Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner, poet and climate activist, for the next session in our international speaker series.

We will look at what the climate crisis means for the Pacific Islands, the imperative for climate action from a Pacific perspective, and how Aotearoa can work together with its Pacific neighbours on climate change.

Dr Hilda Heine made history as the first woman to lead an independent Pacific Island nation when she was elected President of the Marshall Islands in January 2016. As President she strongly appealed to and urged all countries to take action on climate mitigation and adaptation, and is a strong advocate for Pacific women being recognised as leaders in mitigating the effects of climate change. Dr Heine is currently a member of the Marshallese Parliament.

Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner is currently RMI Climate Envoy. She received international acclaim through her poetry performance at the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York in 2014, showing the importance of creative storytelling in confronting the climate crisis. Kathy also co-founded the youth environmentalist non-profit group Jo-Jikum, dedicated to empowering Marshallese youth to seek solutions to climate change and other environmental impacts threatening their home island.

The Marshall Islands comprise over a thousand low-lying islands and islets that are threatened by the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, and more frequent and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.

Climate change is a global challenge. This is the eighth in our series of open Zoom sessions with international experts who have been leading climate action in their respective jurisdictions.

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