COP objectives queried

‘Tuvalu losing faith in institution to deliver a sustainable outcome’

ONE should question whether the objectives and outcomes at COP (Conference of the Parties) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings are being delivered when measuring the efforts of what is happening to the environment and people.

Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano said this while speaking at a COP27 high level meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this week.

He said at every COP event they were always encouraged by the good intentions and goodwill, pronounced and announced through countries in beautifully crafted speeches made at the institution as well as in other platforms across the world.

“But this said, we must always gauge our efforts by what is happening to our environment and to the people who are affected in the front line, and one begs the question, whether we are delivering in our COP objectives and outcomes,” Mr Natano said.

He said Tuvalu was proactively seeking solutions and not sitting on its laurels by any imagination and it has developed a long term adaptation plan – Te Lafiga which was informed by science, experience and best practice.

Mr Natano said they joined the COP27 call for enhanced transparency of financial flows, facilitating access of developing countries to predictable and adequate climate finance be it Green Climate Fund or any other mechanism to mitigate and adapt to climate impacts and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“If we do not make headway in this COP; Tuvalu is quickly losing faith in this institution to deliver a sustainable outcome that does not leave island communities and many of us behind.

“Tuvalu and many islands are struggling to cope with sea level rise that exacerbates many other development challenges.”