Pacific nations chide Australia

Small Pacific islands nations at risk from rising sea levels lambasted Australia yesterday after it blocked moves at a regional forum to set down tough policies to combat climate change.

Leaders of 18 countries in the Pacific Islands Forum concluded their meeting in Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu, on Thursday with a communique that lacked any commitment to the policies it endorsed.

The final document encouraged policies to limit temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels and called for an immediate halt to coal mining. But it also said member states could ignore any measures they opposed.

After being unable find a consensus, host nation Tuvalu made it clear that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose strong backing of a controversial new coal mine was a key factor in his recent election victory, was central to the dispute.