Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
The small island nation of Tuvalu heads to the polls on Friday with big decisions to make. On the ballot are current Prime Minister Kausea Natano and former PM Enele Sopoaga. If re-elected, Sopoaga intends to throw out a tentative climate crisis treaty with Australia announced less than four months ago. The Falepili Union aims to provide aid and potential settlement for Tuvalu citizens who are at risk of displacement from rising sea levels, but Sopoago believes the treaty attacks Tuvalu sovereignty and doesn’t address Australia’s own contribution to the climate crisis. Relations with Taiwan may also hang in the balance – Tuvalu is one of only 12 countries that formally recognise its sovereignty, but rumours circulated earlier this week that the current government was looking to shift its allegiance to Beijing.