Abstract Ethics are important because it is a philosophical technique that can help society take a step back and have a broader view of what the causes and consequences of climate change are, and how to react and act accordingly. As an illustration, climate change is viewed as the greatest threat to national development especially for small island developing states. Climate change is the most significant moral and environmental issue of our time. The collapse of the 2009 Copenhagen negotiations lead many to question whether the international community really had a moral compass to follow, beyond shallow declaratory statements and ambiguous phrases. The critical 2015 Paris negotiations will again put the actions and inactions of states squarely before the world’s peoples.