(CNN Español) – Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs filmed a speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, at COP26, submerged in the sea in water to his knees, to show how his Pacific island nation is on the front lines of climate change.
This is how Tuvalu’s foreign minister recorded his message at COP26.
Images of Simon Covey standing in front of a platform anchored in the sea, in a suit and tie and rolled pants, went viral on social networks, drawing attention to Tuvalu’s fight against rising sea levels.
“The statement puts the COP26 scenario together with the actual situations facing Tuvalu due to the effects of climate change and rising sea levels, and highlights the bold actions that Tuvalu is taking to address pressing issues related to human mobility in the context of climate change,” Coffey said of his video message to the conference.
The video was recorded by public broadcaster TVBC at the end of Fongafale, the main island of the capital Funafuti, according to a government official.
It is due to be shown at the summit on Tuesday, as leaders in that region push for tougher measures to limit the impact of climate change.
Many of the most polluting countries have committed to ramping up carbon emissions reductions in the coming decades, and some are aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The Tuvalu minister recorded a COP 26 message in knee-deep sea water to highlight the real-life impact of climate change in their country.
But Pacific Island leaders have called for immediate action, noting that the survival of the Netherlands is at stake.