00:00Australia is proud to be playing a leading role with Turkey on climate change negotiations
00:07from the world at this United Nations Conference of the Parties.
00:12Proud to be a leader on climate action.
00:15Proud to be a renewable energy leader creating the clean industries, businesses and jobs
00:22of the future.
00:23I'm proud to be here, fighting for the interests of our Pacific family.
00:30We sought this role because we wanted to speak for the people of the world who need urgent
00:36action, including those from our Pacific family.
00:41Their brave and resourceful people need us to act, and they're pleading for us to do
00:47so, politely but with absolute clarity.
00:51Just last month on Tuvalu, at the Special Pre-Cop Australia co-sponsored with Pacific
00:59Nations, I met Melalusi Sokatia, a Year 8 student, just 13 years old, who told us she dreams of
01:10becoming a doctor, but fears for her home.
01:13This was Melalusi's message on behalf of her friends, and I want to read it to you.
01:20We all have one simple dream, to grow up safely here in Tuvalu, the place we call home.
01:29We are not asking for pity, we are asking for help and partnership.
01:35Please work together to protect small islands like ours.
01:40Please help us build strong schools, strong homes and strong water systems so students
01:48like me can learn, play and grow up safely.
01:53Now Melalusi and her friends are just some of the reasons why we are here.
01:59Their islands stand an average of just 1.83 metres above sea level.
02:05The rising waters are a direct threat to their homes.
02:10A sudden storm surge could spell absolute devastation.
02:16But there is hope.
02:17In Tuvalu I saw what can be achieved in the form of engineering works like the impressive
02:23Tuvaluan coastal adaptation project, stopping erosion, holding back storms and reclaiming
02:31land.
02:32Proof that by acting together the world can make a practical difference.
02:38The good news is that real and rapid progress is possible.
02:43Before the Paris Agreement the world was heading for around 4 degrees of warming.
02:47Proof that west this morning for the first day.
02:53You
