A-G outlines COP26 priorities

ince 2011, the Fijian Government has spent more than $3.6million to help relocate six communities, entailing 78 households due to the direct impact of climate change in the country.

This was revealed by AttorneyGeneral and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum while delivering a ministerial statement on priority areas the Government would focus on at the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum while delivering his statement said Fiji was among the most vulnerable climate countries in the region but continues to receive less than one per cent of global climate finance.

He said therefore, the area of increased resource mobilisation for adaptation and loss and damage will be key during their negotiations in Glasgow.

He said Fiji would press for affordable climate finance to be made more accessible to developing countries, and more importantly to raise additional climate finance.

“Despite being among the most climate vulnerable regions in the world, the Pacific is receiving less than one per cent of global finance, which is further split between mitigation and adaptation,” he said.

“It is unfair and indeed unsustainable.”

He said there were more than 40 rural communities that still needed urgent relocation due to the damage caused by climate change in their communities.

“To address this future human mobility needs the Fijian Government has established the climate relocation of the community’s trust fund, which has received an initial grant commitment of Fijian $2.5million from the Government of New Zealand.

“We’re now working in facilitating the relocation of communities in Vanua Levu that have been severely impacted by multiple cyclones, saltwater intrusion and land degradation.”

He said Fiji would be putting pressure on funding sources to better support countries that have developed the national adaptation plan.

“The reasoning is very simple. Due to the damage already done to the climate, we will have to spend billions on adaptation,” he said.