Fiji, Oct. 7 -- Mauritius has called on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen their collective voice and push harder for climate action as emissions continue to rise and the implementation gap widens.

Mauritius President Dharam Gokhool told Pacific PreCOP31 leaders in Denarau that island states could not afford to wait for major emitters to act while their communities face rising seas, extreme weather and growing threats to food security and livelihoods.

"We are still negotiating. Time flies and carbon emissions are increasing more than ever. The implementation gap remains significant," Gokhool said.

Speaking after spending a day and a half in Tuvalu, Gokhool said Mauritius faced many of the same vulnerabilities as Pacifi...