کشورهایی که به صورت جزایر کوچک واقع شده اند یکی از آسیب پذیرترین مناطق در مقابل اثرات تغییرات آب و هوا هستند. رهبران این کشورها که به () معروفند و شامل 42 کشور می شوند از سایر کشورها و به ویژه کشورهای ثروتمند خواسته اند تا گرم شدن کره زمین را از طریق تلاش برای محدود کردن انتشار گازهای گلخانه ای متوقف کنند. 

Small island nations urge rich to limit warming

By Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Small island states that could face devastating storms and floods from climate change urged on Monday that global temperature increases be sharply curtailed from goals set recently by industrialized countries.

Leaders of the Alliance of Small Island States, or AOSIS, a group of 42 island countries, said the rest of the world should agree to agree to cut emissions at a U.N. meeting later this year to limit temperature increases well below 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels.

Temperatures have already risen about 0.8 degree C from pre-industrial times.

"We see climate change as ... a threat to our survival and we have to take the necessary steps to protect our territories, Tillman Thomas, prime minister of AOSIS-member Grenada, told reporters on Monday.