Drastic steps taken today will change self-destruction course of Planet

ur planet is on a course of virtual self-destruction before the end of the century, due to uncontrolled climate change.

This is a reality. Only drastic steps taken today will change this course.

With COP26 scheduled to be held from 1 November to 12 November this year when Fiji will be playing a big role in pushing for a number of outcomes.

These include:

Delivery of the US$100 billion per year climate finance goal (this is globally).

The start of the negotiations on a new climate finance quantitative target prior to 2025 from a flow of US$100 billion per year, a sum of US$750 billion per year is being proposed in particular by the climate vulnerable countries.

An increase in climate financing for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to up to 10 per cent of global climate flows.

An increased climate finance allocation for adaptation to at least 60 per cent of an overall global climate finance flow.

The securement of long term private sector investment and adaptation.

An increase in grant base and long-term concessional climate funding from public sources for SIDs; and

Simplifying access to process and reporting templates for global climate funds.

While Fiji prepares to push this on the world stage, it is also taking big steps at home as we prepare for the worst.

This is why Bills such as the Climate Change Act is not merely ticking a box for Fiji. As much as National Federation Party’s Lenora Qereqeretabua and SODELPA’s Lynda Tabuya want to make this out to be.

Fijians are facing the harsh realities of climate change. As the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum pointed out, we know without question, that global warming will continue under any and all future scenarios. We must be prepared for hotter days and more extreme temperatures.

Ocean acidification is increasing because our oceans are warming. This is bad news for reefs and marine ecosystems that support our food security and, indeed, affect tourism.

When the ocean warms, we get stronger cyclones and face more and more extreme and, indeed, erratic weather patterns including rainfall events.

We cannot consider TC Winston as a one in a hundred year event anymore - sea level is rising faster in our corner of the Pacific and in many parts of the world.

If the emissions continue anywhere near to current levels, this rise will be catastrophic in the long term.

Even with emissions minimised, the sea level rise that is already locked in from decades of rising emissions will severely impact our infrastructure, economy and our way of life, if we do not invest strategically and continuously to build resilience.

Coastal inundations, storm surges, saltwater intrusion and the gradual retreat of our shorelines are realities that the Government, communities and private sector must specifically prepare for, and pre-emptively take action to reduce.

This Act creates a clear legal requirement of ministries and State entities to consider and account for climate risks, it does so with the understanding that this Government is already taking on these responsibilities. The Act is also already cited as a key national commitment and means to support implementation within Fiji’s enhanced NDC and the Paris Agreement which was submitted to the UNFCCC in December 2021.

Parts 7, 8, and 9 of the Act provide the legal basis for Fiji’s commitment to reducing the marginal contribution to Climate Change. JYOTI PRATIBHA