Tuvalu, a Pacific island country, is looking to the metaverse to maintain its culture

With global temperatures predicted to climb by up to 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, Tuvalu claims it has no alternative but to create a digital version of itself. Tuvalu’s foreign minister, Simon Kofe, told the COP27 climate meeting on Tuesday that the island will seek to the metaverse to preserve its culture and heritage in the face of increasing sea levels.

Kofe memorably addressed the COP26 session while knee-deep in ocean to illustrate the grave danger that climate change brings to island countries like Tuvalu. In his most recent lecture, he frames the metaverse as a possible home for all nations if there is no global effort to solve the issue.

Tuvalu is a nine-island archipelago situated between Australia and Hawaii. It has a population of around 12,000 people. Climate experts predict that the whole nation will be submerged by the end of the twenty-first century.

To meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C objective and prevent much worse climate consequences, the world has eight years to cut annual global emissions by 45 percent, compared to forecasts based on present policies. To keep temperature rises under 2 degrees Celsius, an additional 30% decrease in emissions is required.