Talanoa Helps Nations Find Solutions: Daunivalu
The Talanoa Dialogue is an effective tool for generating greater awareness of the actions Governments, communities and institutions can take to reduce emissions and build greater resiliency to the effects of climate change. This was a message by Fiji’s chief climate negotiator Luke Daunivalu to a high-level panel at the United Nations yesterday. “The intention [of the Talanoa Dialogue to take place in the lead-up to and during the COP24 meeting in Poland] is to generate greater awareness of what is happening tangibly and concretely on the ground across the different regions,” Mr Daunivalu said
He said this would allow everyone to “harness and learn from” those experiences “and be inspired to make greater commitments” as national governments compile their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Ambassador Daunivalu spoke at a session titled “Financing Climate Futures: Rethinking Infrastructure,” which was organised by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, UN Environment and the World Bank Group. The three organisations have joined forces to provide guidance for countries to move beyond an incremental approach to financing low-emission, resilient infrastructure systems towards the transformational agenda needed for decisive climate action.
Securing finances for low-emission, resilient infrastructure has become an urgent need in order to reduce emissions, but infrastructure has suffered from chronic under investment for decades.
The need for new investment where there was little previously, coupled with the urgency of the climate challenge, presents a unique opportunity to generate sustainable growth and increase resilience worldwide.
To do so, he said it would be necessary to mobilise sustainable investment across the financial spectrum in infrastructure, from public financial institutions, banks, institutional investors, corporations and capital markets.
This mobilisation away from emission-intensive projects will require getting the basic investment and climate policies right, such as putting a price on carbon and reforming fossil fuel subsidies.
Mr Daunivalu was asked to share how the COP23 Presidency contributed to the lowemission, resilient transformation that was needed to ensure sustainable development in infrastructure.
The forum was held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
Other panelists at the forum were ministerial-level participants from Ethiopia, Japan, Poland and senior climate and environmental officials of the United Nations and World Bank.