The Prime Minister of Fiji has called for steeper emission cuts ahead of the COP 23 climate change talks.

Mr Vorege Bainimarama said this and ramping up the finance available to developing countries in order to green their economies and build resilience will be the key priorities of this round of the UN’s climate conference in Bonn, Germany, which he will chair.

Fiji and other small island states are amongst the most vulnerable to the rising seas and extreme weather caused by global warming – major floods last month wreaked havoc across the country and tropical storm Cyclone Winston last year killed dozens and made thousands more homeless.

Prime Minister Bainimarama said: “As your Prime Minister, I will be guiding the deliberations of almost 200 countries as we gather in Bonn, Germany, in November to continue to seek a more decisive response on the part of the industrial nations.

“And to set aside funds to enable developing countries such as Fiji to adapt to the changes to their way of life that have been caused through no fault of our own.”

He added that his overriding responsibility was to secure Fiji’s future by protecting its environment, land and seas and ensuring its people can continue to develop the economy and improve their standard of living.