Climate Change

Speaking at the COP23 climate change conference in Germany, Mr Maamau said Kiribati like many countries was continuing to witness the detrimental impacts of climate change.

But he said Kiribati wanted to put aside the misleading and pessimistic scenario of a sinking/deserted nation, and would replace it with a desire to fight and/or adapt to climate change, for which it would need international help.

He said his government was launching an ambitious 20-year plan or the KV20, to build and develop the nation in the face of climate change.

The World Bank and the Fiji government released the study at the COP23 climate change talks in Bonn which are presided by Fiji.

A lead economist with the World Bank Stephane Hallegatte said the Climate Vulnerability Assessment used new methods to assess risk and to develop adaptation plans.

He said the study detailed a plan to build climate change resilience for Fiji which has been costed.

Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has also sought FAO’s assistance to build capacity in data collection and analysis with special regard to monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP).

The NSDP is a nationalization of the Sustainable Development Goals at the global level.

Salwai addressed a summit with the FAO in Rome last Saturday.

Vanuatu is particularly interested in climate resilience crops that will ensure food security especially post-disasters.

The sector was being encouraged to move away from carbon intensive investment.

The UN said finance for climate projects was flowing at a greater pace, with vibrant markets now for renewable energy, electric vehicles, green buildings and climate-smart agriculture.

The World Bank said funding needed to flow so people everywhere could benefit from low-carbon and climate resilient investments.

It hopes the UN can attract public, private, and philanthropic investors.

They hope to play a key role in discussions on how to implement the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting carbon emissions and helping to prevent global warming.

It will provide a forum to discuss paths forward through disaster risk reduction programs, legal guidelines, and potential land solutions.

The COP23 Oceans Action forum in Germany has heard the latest scientific evidence on how the effects of ocean warming, acidification, de-oxygenation, sea-level rise and increased storm activity, are making people more vulnerable to migration and displacement.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was speaking at the COP23 Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said while progress had been made in protecting ecosystems to enhance resilience to climate change, real incentives were needed to attract more investment in delivering nature based solutions.

Some countries and corporations are taking action to cut emissions from forest use and establish sustainable forestry management.

Meeting some members of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Vatican, the Pope shared the concerns of those exposed to frequent extreme environmental and climate events, and the impact of rising sea levels and the continuous deterioration of the barrier reef.

He blamed many of the causes of this “environmental decay” on the short-sighted human activity… connected with certain ways ‎of exploiting natural and human resources.

Mr Shaw and Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio are representing New Zealand at climate talks in Germany, and on the way there had an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The COP23 conference in Bonn is being convened under the presidency of Fiji, giving the international meeting a decidedly Pacific feel and focus.

Shaw is already working on allowing Pacific people to migrate to New Zealand if climate change forces them to flee their homes.
 
Shaw and Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio are attending the COP23 climate change meeting in Bonn, Germany, and also heading to Rome, Italy, for a meeting between the Pacific Island Forum leaders and Pope Francis.
 
COP23 lead by Fiji, and focus on the threat rising seas pose to low-lying nations such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu.