World leaders heading to Cork to tackle climate change

More than 30 representatives including Head of States and Ministers, UN representatives and Ambassadors will meet to discuss the impact that climate change is having on island nations.

The summit begins on June 9th, just after the conclusion of SeaFest and will end on June 10th. Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and former US Secretary of State John Kerry will be at the summit along with the Prime Minister of St. Lucia Allen Chastanet, Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi and Foreign Minister of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid, and political representatives from Grenada, Barbados, Fiji Dominican Republic, Haiti and more.

The world leaders will be raising issues that small island nations face due to climate change and what can be done to improve efforts to stop it.

Speaking about the summit, Marine Institute Peter Heffernan said: "The health of our oceans is critical to the health of our planet. Almost three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by the oceans and it absorbs 30% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity. Plastics in our oceans are affecting over 700 species from plankton to whales, and climate change is impacting the world’s oceans in terms of acidity and global warming. We must act as a collective."

He continued: "Tackling these global challenges will also present many opportunities for innovative developments in a circular blue economy. Along with the Dept. for Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Marine Institute is working with small island nations to prioritise our oceans’ health and that will be the focus of the Our Ocean Wealth Summit 2019 in Cork."