The members of the Pacific Islands Forum [official website] on Wednesday signed [communique, PDF] a statement saying that “climate change presents the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and wellbeing of Pacific people.”

The Pacific Islands Forum was attended by representatives of 18 Pacific countries, and the communique was signed at the end of the forum. In the communique, the leaders “reaffirmed the importance of immediate urgent action to combat climate change” and committed “to ensure effective progress on Pacific priorities with regards to the Paris Agreement” through the development of a guide.

The leaders at the Forum also urged countries to comply fully with their commitments to mitigate emissions, “including through the development and transfer of renewable energy,” within their committed timeframes. The leaders also “called on the United States to return to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”