COP21

The Voices of the Pacific and the Paris Agreement

The Agreement includes several key elements that are of particular importance to the Pacific region, including recognition for pursuing a temperature goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, a strengthened mechanism for loss and damage, and the provision for scaled up and simplified access to climate finance for small island developing states.

The Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies have been working as “One Team” to support Pacific island countries with technical assistance during the lengthy negotiation process.

Fiji and Pacific leaders fought a good fight: EU

EU’s Head of Delegation to Fiji and the Pacific Andrew Jacobs has praised Pacific leaders for making their voices heard by the developed countries to combat climate change that’s affecting the region.

Jacobs says the EU has lauded the coordinated efforts from the Pacific as the outcome worked out well.

Landmark climate deal agreed in Paris

The agreement, which is partly legally binding and partly voluntary, is the first to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions.

It was reached after 13 days of grueling negotiations between nearly 200 countries in Paris.

France and Canada convert their pledges into usable resources for GCF

France has converted its remaining pledge of EUR 342 million, bringing its total signed contributions to EUR 750 million, while Canada has converted its pledge of CAD 300 million into signed arrangements. 

The future of the Pacific is in your hands

Reaffirmation of the Pacific’s position was made by Dame Meg Taylor, the Secretary General of the Fiji-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and also the Pacific Ocean Commissioner.

A good agreement Dame Taylor says would be one that keeps temperature rise at well below 1.5 degrees Celsius, features a stand-alone lost and damage mechanism, and offers new and scaled up financing.

Pacific countries in alliance with EU at climate talks

The new alliance has agreed a common position on some of the most divisive aspects of the proposed deal.

However, the EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete says talks are still ongoing on how to accommodate a 1.5 degrees warming limit within the agreement.

New Paris text must ‘officially’ include Loss and damage

The Pacific region faces the challenge of losing 3 entire nations due to climate change – including the low-laying atoll islands of Tuvalu, Kiribati and Marshal Islands while Nauru and some of the smaller islands in Fiji also face displacement related to climate change.

“While many are relieved by the fact that a ‘bridging proposal’ was tabled on Thursday the fact that some developed countries have openly challenged this shows that they are not ready to discuss this in the ‘formal Paris text’,” says François Martel, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum.

Empathies for 1.5 degrees goal and loss & damage

“I totally emphathise with their claims. For them it’s a matter of life and survival. Any increase beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees will significantly threaten their island nations.

“They are asking for 1.5 degrees limit to global temperature rise as a reference point, said Fabius, who is also France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In his daily briefing to the media, Minister Fabius confirmed that two negotiating texts were submitted by the co-chairs and facilitators of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) on Friday morning.

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Empathy for 1.5 degrees goal and Loss & Damage, current draft text does not reflect this mood

"I totally emphathise with their claims. For them it's a matter of life and survival. Any increase beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees will significantly threaten their island nations.

Tuvalu cries foul at slow, delaying tactics at COP21

Prime Minister of Tuvalu Enele Sopoaga said the negotiations are painfully 'slow,' as he went onto accuse the bigger countries of employing delaying tactics.