Your Excellences. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and honoured students from the University of the South Pacific.

It is a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to visit Vanuatu and experience its unique beauty. I can understand that the recent extreme weather has impacted your teaching year and our visit to your university posed a bit of an extra challenge.  Therefore, I would like to extend a special thanks to the University of South Pacific for going that little extra to host this important event.

Everything in the world, has its opposite. Just as Vanuatu’s exceptional beauty lies in contrast to its vulnerability and exposure to increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as cyclones and rising sea levels. 

In Vanuatu, you are no strangers to this vulnerability which has become more apparent with the growing challenges and impact of climate change. The devastation from recent extreme weather and natures power is still affecting daily life across the country, and I expect will continue to do so for some time. 

Despite the challenges, the people of Vanuatu have shown tremendous resilience and spirit and it reminds us of the power of the human spirit and the strength of community.

Climate change is an urgent global challenge that requires global collaboration and accelerated action on all fronts. That acceleration is needed was emphasised in the latest report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which stated that temperature increases in the last 50 years are faster than in any other 50-year period over the last 2,000 years.

As the UN Secretary General said: “This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. In short, our world needs climate action on all fronts -- everything, everywhere, all at once”

Every country in the world is now impacted by climate change. Some countries and populations are harder hit than others. However, few face existential crisis - and amongst those few, many are the small island developing states.

It is well-known that climate change exacerbates existing challenges, such as: food security, water scarcity, health impacts, internal displacement and existing structures of inequality in our societies, for example gender inequality.  It is a fact that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by natural disasters.

My visit to your country is a short one however, it doesn’t take long, after looking and listening, to get an impression of how devastating these events are; socially, economically and environmentally. 

It reaffirms that we all have a responsibility to do what is right, what we can and to work together to support and contribute to global efforts to secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Dear students – I feel that it would be a missed opportunity if I didn’t stress how important meaningful youth participation is in addressing the challenges the world is facing today.

Today, half of the world’s population is below 30, making you the biggest youth generation ever. Your engagement and activism can make a significant difference in creating a more sustainable future for all.

I understand that law students from this University played a leading role in ensuring the adoption of a resolution related to climate change at the recent United Nations General Assembly. What a remarkable achievement, and one that you should be very proud of.  It illustrates how making your voice heard can influence those in power, to make change. 

As students, you are in a unique position to develop innovative ideas and design potential green solutions.  Whether it’s through research, education, design or entrepreneurship – youth-led action can and does have a significant impact.

At the same time, there is a responsibility to provide a platform for the youth to voice their concerns, opinions and ideas. And also real opportunities to take action and ensure youth are represented in decision-making processes.

When a challenge seems unconquerable remember, every small effort you make towards your goal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will eventually lead you to conquering it.

Throughout, I have referred to climate change as the challenge.  However, we cannot just focus on climate if we are to solve the climate crisis.  Everything in nature is interconnected and interdependent and us humans are not separate from the natural world.  Our actions and choices have consequences for the balance and harmony of our shared world.

So, here is a little food for thought. When your brainstorming, designing or researching potential solutions to the climate crisis, look at the world we are living in in a wholistic way.  Putting humans and societies at the centre is insufficient.  Nature’s own eco-systems must also be at the centre of any product, service or solution.  By doing so we recognise that we are not living ‘on’ planet earth but, living 'with‘ planet earth. 

Thank you.

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