For almost a decade, Australia’s engagement with the Pacific has been perceived as inauthentic. Despite Pacific leaders highlighting the devastating role that the continued burning of fossil fuels has had on our countries, we have felt ignored by the Australian government. But no longer.

The new Australian administration is a breath of fresh air for relations with the Pacific. Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s words, promising a new era in Australian engagement, are very encouraging.

But we need Australia to stop digging up, exporting and burning fossil fuels and become a global climate leader. This will help save all members of the Pacific family, including Australia.

Our Pacific culture prioritises talanoa, coming together and talking. But the honest truth is that the world has run out of time for talking about climate. Impacts of climate change are here and now. Extreme weather events are plunging one-third of Pakistan underwater and baking the northern hemisphere from Europe to China. Australians have seen the future with their own eyes, with the impacts of devastating flooding and fires. The Pacific is seeing its islands disappear underwater. As usual, it is both the poorest, most vulnerable and those who have contributed the least to climate change who bear the brunt of its impacts.

The Pacific family looks at Australia as the big brother to provide the needed leadership and partnership to bridge the gap between targets and actions. For too long, we have been raising the alarm but no one, including the Australian government, has been listening. We have been polite and respectful, but every year the world’s greenhouse gas emissions rise when they are meant to be going down. It is now or never for the people of the Pacific.

Australia and the Pacific Islands have an inalienable connection that extends through our histories, our present and into our future. As part of our Pacific family, Australia must shoulder its responsibilities to work for the common good.

It is distressing to see fossil fuel companies act with no regard for the planet. Every announcement for new oil and gas exploration or export feels like a nail in the coffin for the survival of our lands, our people and our culture. Just recently, the federal government announced almost 50,000 square kilometres of ocean was open for petroleum exploration. We cannot go on like this.

The Pacific Elders’ Voice want to see Australia as a global climate leader, but this can only become a reality if the Australian government addresses the inconsistency between its words and actions, and it must aim much higher. The good news is that, as the last election has shown, the Australian people overwhelmingly recognise the need for greater climate action. The Albanese government’s desire to become a renewable energy superpower is a win-win for the Pacific and Australia.