Mr. President,

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, a coalition of 44 coastal and low-lying islands states that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  We associate with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77.

Thank you for what has been a remarkable effort on every aspect of this conference – from the logistics, to the transparency you have shown from the start, to the tireless consultations that brought us through to the end. We are all a part of history today and you made it happen. Congratulations.

Since these negotiations began at the first Earth Summit, all of our eyes have been opened by the steady increase in climate change impacts in every country and on every continent. It is clear that no one is immune from climate change. We are all in this together, sink or swim.

But more recently, we have also witnessed a remarkable shift in the climate change debate and a new commitment to action in capitals around the world. The clear recognition of the ambitious journey we now must take together to ensure a safe and prosperous future for all people is both an affirmation of our efforts and our solemn duty.

We must now seize every opportunity to make renewable energy accessible for every person and every community. We must use it more efficiently. And we must implement smart climate policies faster and more broadly.

Finally, the international community has a responsibility to ensure that those who suffer from climate change impacts that are now unavoidable will have the resources they need to adapt when possible and rebuild their lives when all else fails.

Indeed, this is an historic agreement, though we must remember that history will judge us not by what we did today, but by what we do from this day forward. That is how the Paris agreement will be measured: by future generations.

Thank you.