Greenpeace has applauded Tuvalu for its strong calls for a legally binding treaty at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen.

The demand resulted in a suspension of the Conference of the Parties plenary session until the issue could be resolved.

Greenpeace Pacific Political Advisor Seni Nabou said that the suspension concerns one of the most important questions of Copenhagen, the matter of whether or not the outcome will be legally binding.

She said that for the vulnerable countries in our region like Tuvalu, it is about survival and it is about whether the rest of the world is serious about stopping climate change. She said only a legally binding agreement can give Pacific Island countries the confidence that their future is guaranteed.

She said without this, the talks risk being nothing more than a photo opportunity. Nabou said that the Pacific wants an outcome from Copenhagen that will ensure our future and security as sovereign island nations is protected.