The Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Tony Abbott and John Key, have been slammed for deciding not to attend the UN climate summit in New York tomorrow September 23.

The UN climate summit will be attended by more than 120 leaders including US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott however, has decided against attending the summit despite being present in New York this week.

A public denunciation came in the form of Ms Shirley Laban, convenor of the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN). She called the absence “alarming and disheartening”.

Shirley Laban stated “If Australian and New Zealand leaders refuse to do their share to address the issue they send a very poor signal to the global community. Pacific communities will reap the devastating consequences of their failure to act for generations to come”.

Ms Laban urged polluting and wealthy nations to curb emissions and to help island communities adapt to a changing climate.

“We are not responsible for climate change, yet we will bear the greatest impacts of a changing climate”

“Even if drastic action is taken now to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, Pacific countries are still likely to experience significant losses, and permanent damage. The countries responsible for emitting greenhouse gases must take responsibility for the impacts of their pollution”.