Our Priorities at COP26
With only 35 days to the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, Fiji will continue to push for bigger commitments and responsibility from big carbon emitters
This is because the current emissions reduction target set by countries are not ambitious enough.
In fact, the expected increase in average global temperature to over 2.7 degrees celsius before the end of this century is way off the mark of the 1.5 Degrees Celsius target that Fiji and other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) had fought hard to incorporate in the Paris Agreement.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will lead Fiji’s participation at COP26. But he will also be the voice of 2.3 million Pacific islanders (excluding Papua New Guinea) in his role as chair of the Pacific Island Forum.
Attorney-General and Minister for Climate Change Aiyaz-Sayed Khaiyum told Parliament on Thursday: “You simply cannot sit on the sidelines and wait for some multilateral miracle to save the climate. It is up to countries like Fiji to drive the climate agenda which indeed we are.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum presented a ministerial statement on Fiji’s priorities at COP26.
One of the first priorities is to lobby for greater climate ambition.
“We are seeking far greater decarbonisation commitments by large greenhouse gas emitting countries, establishing a deadline for these commitments to result in emission speak, and committing to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
This is key as only 40 per cent of the countries that ratified the Paris Agreement have submitted updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC.
OUR LONG TERM COMMITMENTS
Fiji has submitted its long-term commitments to transition towards net-zero emissions by 2050 alongside 33 other countries.
In terms of climate ambition, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum outlined two specific goals:
(1) Finalise the Paris Rule Book at COP26, which means agreeing to outstanding matters relating to carbon markets, common timeframe works for NDCs and mechanisms to enhance transparency under the Paris Agreement.
(2) Secure additional commitments towards much stronger NDC targets by 2030, and all countries to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with 1.5 degree Celsius pathway. Increase access to affordable financing for developing countries that have included adaptation commitments in their NDCs.
The goals are reinforced through various parts of the new Climate Change Act 2021.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum did not mince his words when it came to the unequal distribution of climate finance to support mitigation and climate adaptation.
“Despite being among the most climate vulnerable regions in the world, the Pacific is receiving less than one percent of global finance, which is further split between mitigation and adaptation. It is unfair and, indeed, unsustainable.”
He pointed to Article 9, paragraph 4 of the Paris Agreement which clearly states the need to aim for a resource mobilisation balance between climate mitigation and climate adaptation.
“This is not happening and must be urgently corrected.
“Fiji will press for affordable climate finance to be made more accessible to developing countries and more importantly, to raise additional climate finance for adaptation.”
GLOBAL GOAL DELIVERY
Delivery of the US$100 billion per year climate finance global goal
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.
Another goal is to push for the rapid mobilisation of collaborative networks on loss and damage to create more financing opportunities.
“At COP26, Fiji will be pushing for a decision text on oceans that engraves ocean issues within the UNFCCC and ensures due diligence of formal processes for the ocean climate nexus to gain a permanent mandate in the UNFCCC,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
The following are key:
(a) Dedicated financing for loss and damage that goes beyond insurance based solution;
(b) Progress work programme for Warsaw International mechanism on loss and damage; and
(c) Increase support for Santiago Network of technical exports on loss and damage and dedicated assistance through the network to Pacific SIDS.
In terms of ocean issues, Fiji will be pushing for a decision text on that engraves ocean issues within the UNFCCC and ensures due diligence of formal processes for the ocean climate nexus to gain a permanent mandate in the UNFCCC.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum outlined the following goals for the ocean at COP26 are:
(1) Generate support for ocean work programme and agenda in the UNFCCC processes in line with the oceans pathway;
(2) Push for blue components of NDCs to be promoted and tracked;
(3) Generate support for further research and capacity building to enhance developing country’s understanding of the ocean climate nexus;
(4) Enhance financing for oceans and fisheries relating adaptation activities; and
(5) Discuss options for implementing the recommendation of the 2020 Ocean Climate Dialogue Report recommendations cochaired by Fiji.