Is the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu growing, and not sinking, as Craig Kelly says?

by RMIT ABC fact Check, December 21, 2018


The claim

Liberal MP and climate sceptic Craig Kelly made headlines in November when he was caught on tape mocking “lefties” for exaggerating the effects of climate change.

Speaking at a local party event, audio of which was leaked to the Guardian, Mr Kelly set out to debunk several justifications for climate change action, including the argument that Tuvalu, the Pacific island nation, was slipping beneath the sea.

“The science tells us that Tuvalu, which I often hear about, is actually growing not sinking,” he told colleagues.

Is Tuvalu growing? RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates.

The verdict

Mr Kelly’s claim checks out.

In the four decades to 2014, Tuvalu’s total land area grew by 73 hectares, or 2.9 per cent.