Small island nations have urged world leaders gathered in New York not to abandon efforts to limit global warming to 1.5C, warning that the goal remains a legal obligation rather than an aspiration.
The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a coalition of 39 small islands and low-lying coastal nations, said in a statement delivered at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that "1.5°C is not an arbitrary goal that would be nice to achieve. It is the legally affirmed limit, endorsed by the UNGA, committed to by countries to protect people, ecosystems and economies".
