Vanuatu has issued one of the strongest calls yet for urgent global climate action, warning that climate-driven losses now exceed half of the country’s GDP in the past decade, pushing the nation into “a cycle of perpetual recovery.”

Delivering Vanuatu’s National Statement at the High-Level Segment of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Minister of Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu said the climate crisis is no longer a threat but “an economic shock of an existential scale” for small island developing states.

Regenvanu stressed that extreme weather events continue to undermine Vanuatu’s hard-won development gains, threatening the country’s long-term ability to build a self-determined future.

Referencing the landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion released this year, Minister Regenvanu said the world’s highest court has now reaffirmed what vulnerable nations have argued for decades: that states have clear legal obligations to protect the climate system, guided by science, equity and intergenerational justice.

“The ICJ opinion echoes the IPCC’s warnings, reaffirming that 1.5°C is the limit for survival in countries like Vanuatu,” he said.

“This reality has mandated Vanuatu to submit one of the world’s most ambitious NDC 3.0 commitments. But ambition from vulnerable states alone is not enough. We need all major emitters to align their NDCs with a 1.5° compatible trajectory.”

The Minister points out that urgent increases in climate ambition must be matched with climate finance that is accessible, grant-based, predictable and additional to traditional aid.

“Climate finance is not charity. It is a legal and moral obligation,” he emphasized, adding that current global finance systems are failing the most vulnerable, who cannot wait years for fund approvals while disasters strike annually.

Vanuatu welcomed the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund but stressed that its success depends on real, timely resourcing.

Loss and damage, he noted, is already “eroding livelihoods, cultures and territory.”

Regenvanu reaffirmed Vanuatu’s alignment with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), calling for priority support due to the unique vulnerabilities of small island nations. Adaptation, he said, is no longer optional for Vanuatu.

The country needs major investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and resilience across food systems, health and education.

“But adaptation alone cannot save us if global emissions continue to rise; the limit of adaptation is being reached,” he said.

Acknowledging the COP30 Presidency’s focus on implementation, the Minister said Vanuatu is “cautiously optimistic” about progress under the proposed Mutirão decision.

He noted that the 2025 NDC Synthesis Report confirms a persistent mitigation gap between current commitments and what is required to keep 1.5°C within reach.

Regenvanu reaffirmed Vanuatu’s support for President Lula’s call for a global roadmap to guide a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

“We need a clear action plan that focuses on the implementation of GST(1) and the GST energy package to address the current 1.5° overshoot.

Establishing this roadmap here in Belém will be a defining moment for global cooperation,” he said.

Calling on all Parties to act “in the true spirit of multilateralism, solidarity and shared responsibility,” the Minister concluded that Vanuatu stands ready to lead and partner in delivering climate action that is ambitious, just and aligned with science.

“Together, we can and must deliver a future where no nation is left behind.”