Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior launches Pacific tour from Cairns

Cairns has been chosen as a launch pad for Greenpeace’s global campaign to take climate harm issues to the world’s highest court. Read about the local significance of the Rainbow Warrior visit.

Cairns has been chosen as a launch pad for Greenpeace’s global campaign to take climate harm issues to the world’s highest court.

First Nations leaders from the Guda Maluyligal in the Torres Strait, Uncle Paul Kabai and Uncle Pabai Pabai will join the campaign from Cairns as the ship travels the Pacific.

The two elders are plaintiffs in the Australian climate case who have taken the Australian Government to court for failing to protect their island homes of Boigu and Saibai from climate change.

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior sailing ship has docked in Cairns, where it is due to set sail on its Pacific Climate Justice tour on June 26. Paul Kabai from Saibai Island, climate activist and Greenpeace campaigner Anjali Sharma and Pabai Pabai from Boigu Island have joined Greenpeace employees and volunteers for the Pacific Climate Justice tour. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Saibai is four kilometres from Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait,” Mr Kabai said.

“When we had a visit from the former president of (Pacific Island nation) Kiribati he said the same things were happening there.”

Mr Kabai said the main issue was erosion caused by rising sea levels.

“We live on a very low island, formed by sediment and mud, surrounded by mangroves so erosion is our greatest worry as more of our land returns to the sea,” he said.

“During our case against the government we brought the judge onto the island for a tour of the impacts so that we could show how it is impacting our lives,” he said.

“I am doing this for the future of my community and the generations to come.”

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior sailing ship has docked in Cairns, where it is due to set sail on its Pacific Climate Justice tour on June 26. Picture: Brendan Radke

The tour will see the ship return to the Pacific as part of a global campaign to take climate harm to the International Court of Justice.

“We come in friendship and solidarity to meet with Pacific communities and leaders. The most important part is that we engage together in sharing our experience of climate change and our cultural ways of connecting together, and that gives us strength,” he said.

After passing the United Nations General Assembly by consensus earlier this year, the historic campaign for an advisory opinion on climate now heads to The Hague, where if successful, could change the destiny of millions of people suffering negative impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, cyclones and extreme weather events.

Its hoped the movement will usher in a new wave of global climate litigation.

Greenpeace ship MY Rainbow Warrior has arrived in Cairns.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Steph Hodgins-May said Australia’s relationship with the Pacific is contingent on real climate action.

“At a time when we should be moving rapidly away from coal, oil and gas, the government is green lighting new fossil fuel mega projects,” she said.

“The Australian Government must act in line with the best available science to protect everyone’s island homes — a strong submission to the International Court of Justice is a statement in support of communities in Australia and the Pacific who need urgent action to protect them from climate harm.”

Originally published as Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior launches Pacific tour from Cairns