GLASGOW, Scotland — Former President Barack Obama participated in a session on the Pacific Islands Monday at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
The summit is seeking higher commitments from world leaders to help the islands, some of which are at risk of disappearing as the oceans rise.
Speaking to the gathered crowd, Obama said rising sea levels near the islands show the rest of the world the very real problems that climate change will cause.
Obama said he is proud of the commitment the U.S. government has made in tackling climate change.
He also stressed the responsibility of wealthy nations.
"Those of us who live in big wealthy nations, those of us who help to precipitate the problem, we have an added burden to make sure that we are working with and helping and assisting those who are less responsible and less able, but are more vulnerable to this oncoming crisis," Obama said.
The two-week climate talks are at their midpoint, after President Biden and many other global leaders launched the summit last week with pledges of action and calls for more.
The U.N. Climate Conference is former Obama's first since he helped deliver the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.
That's when nations committed to cutting fossil fuel and agricultural emissions fast enough to keep the earth's warming below catastrophic levels.
