Advocates at the forefront of climate justice calling for urgent action and change
The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) plus the Vulnerable Twenty Group is an international partnership of countries most threatened by the impacts of a warming planet. The CVF serves as a South-South cooperation platform for participating governments to act together to deal with global climate change. Composed of 58 members from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific, CVF represents around 1.4 billion people worldwide. It was founded in November 2009 by Maldives together with 10 other countries.
“Non-economic losses and damages are kept to the heart of our reason for being. We need to provide systems and comfort to people already suffering from the irrecoverable losses and damages, so they feel supported and the rest of the world acknowledges their responsibility and morality.” – Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Bishop of Tonga, Kingdom of Tonga, and President of Caritas Oceania, during the press conference on the Faith Leaders Statement on Loss and Damage: The Moral Case for Action, 23 November 2023
“It is regrettable that we have not achieved an equal success to achieve the 1.5 target. We have not responded sufficiently to that call by raising ambition and that is our deep regret and disappointment.” – Seve Paeniu, Ministe of Finance and Economic Development, Tuvalu, during the COP27 closing plenary
“I believe that we should maintain and care for our land, trees, and waters. So that even when we pass, the succeeding generations can still enjoy the trees, the water, and a proper place to live.” – Datu Nestor Menaling, Tribal Leader of the Pulangiyēn community, Philippines
“We are concerned by the lack of progress and deficit in the formulation of National Adaptation Plans. These are crucial tools for countries struggling to build resilience against climate stress… 2030 is the decisive decade for us.” – Senator Sherry Rehman, Pakistan, during the COP27 closing plenary
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