Small island nations have called on world leaders at the UN General Assembly to maintain the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, stating that this target is not just a wish but a legally binding commitment. The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which includes 39 small island and low-lying coastal countries, emphasized that the 1.5°C limit was formally endorsed by the UN General Assembly and is essential for protecting people, ecosystems, and economies. The statement was delivered by Anne Rasmussen, AOSIS's lead climate change negotiator, who noted that scientific evidence shows it is still possible to limit and reverse any temporary exceedance of the 1.5°C threshold through urgent action. Rasmussen urged world leaders to treat the growing impacts of climate change with the urgency the situation demands. She highlighted that recent reports from the World Meteorological Organization indicate that the past two months were the hottest on record and that sea levels are rising at an unprecedented rate. "This cannot be business as usual," she said, stressing the need for clear and concrete commitments to address the climate crisis and align with the 1.5°C target. This call comes after a recent report by the UN Environment Programme warned that the world is on track to surpass the 1.5°C warming threshold within the next few years. The report noted that while humanity may have missed the opportunity to stay within the Paris Agreement’s limits, it is still possible to reduce warming through a strategy known as "overshoot," which involves temporarily allowing temperatures to rise above 1.5°C before reducing them again through the elimination of fossil fuels and the development of carbon removal technologies. Rasmussen also referenced a report on global tipping points, which warned that ice sheets are at risk of irreversible melting once warming reaches around 1.5°C. AOSIS highlighted the immediate and severe impacts of climate change on small island states, including the need to relocate communities in Fiji due to rising seas, landslides, and extreme weather. In the Caribbean, droughts and extreme heat are exacerbating the struggles of farmers and local populations. The group also called for climate finance to be prioritized for small island states, ensuring that funding is accessible, affordable, predictable, and tailored to their specific needs. This request comes as Nepal, which recently experienced devastating floods from a glacial lake collapse, awaits 20 million in relief from the UN’s new loss and damage fund. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged polluters to take responsibility for the damage they have caused, emphasizing that those who have contributed the most to climate change must also contribute the most to its solutions. AOSIS has also requested that the incoming president of COP31, the next UN climate summit, prioritize selecting a climate plan from small island states through a process known as the Global Implementation Accelerator. They stressed that without access to the necessary resources and support, climate solutions will remain ineffective.