Our Plan to Cut Carbon Emissions
By 2030, Fiji plans to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent. To achieve this goal, AttorneyGeneral and Minister responsible for Climate Change Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum launched Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation roadmap in Bonn, Germany, on Monday (Bonn time).
The launch took place on the margins of COP23 and was held at the Fijian Pavilion in the Bonn Zone.
Fiji has targeted three key areas to achieve this reduction. This will include having almost 100 per cent electricity through renewable energy sources in the next 13 years, having hybrid and electric vehicles in the private and public transportation sector and upgrading our maritime travel as well.
The total estimated annual CO2 (carbon dioxide) mitigation achieved by the identified mitigation actions included in the Roadmap amounts to 627,000 tCO2/yr (tonnes of carbon dioxide per year) against the business as usual baseline in 2030.
The total investment costs in the energy sector to achieve this level of CO2 mitigation is estimated to be US$2.97 billion (FJ$6.12b) between 2017–2030, plus the estimated US$119million (FJ$245m) already invested in mitigation actions between 2014-2017. Given that Fiji’s NDC has a primary focus around the energy sector, the NDC Roadmap focuses on three energy subsectors, namely:
(i) Electricity generation, transmission and distribution; (ii) Demand side energy efficiency; and
(iii) Energy efficiency in land and maritime transportation.
The Roadmap highlights short, medium and long term renewable initiatives required in these energy sub-sectors
to achieve the 30 per cent emissions reduction target.
The renewable initiatives outlined as part of the three sub-sectors are expected to reduce Fiji’s carbon dioxide emissions by 627,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum against the business as usual baseline.
“Importantly, the renewable actions identified are aligned to national plans, policies and strategies as well as the strategic plans of Fijian Government entities such as the Fiji Electricity Authority and the Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“If successfully implemented, the actions of the Roadmap will also have significant co-benefits in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – an international commitment that Fiji is also very passionate about,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
How will this be achieved?
■ Electricity Generation and Transmission [427,000 tCO2/ yr which will cost US$1.671b (FJ$3.44b)].
The largest contribution for CO2 mitigation up through 2030 in this sub-sector comes from biomass based power generation which includes sustainable biomass plantations and Waste to Energy, followed by hydro-power generation, solar PV generation and grid extension/ improvement and grid storage. Other renewable energy generation technologies such as wind, geothermal, and wastewater treatment and biogas have the potential to further contribute to mitigation and transformational change in the sub-sector.
[30,000 tCO2/yr; US$150 million (FJ$308m)] The mitigation actions under Demand-Side Energy Efficiency are categorised into four types: Energy Labelling and Minimum Energy Performance Standards for electrical appliances, Energy Efficiency in the Business Community, Energy Efficiency in the Public Sector, and Updated Codes and Standards for Buildings
Transport [137,000 tCO2/yr; US$1.149 billion (FJ$3.6b]. The mitigation actions under Transport include vehicle replacement programmes for buses, taxis, private cars, Lorries and minibuses, which are expected to have the largest contribution for CO2 mitigation. All vehicle replacement programmes would institute an enhanced sub-industry for the scrappage of old vehicles and recycling of materials.
Further mitigation actions include the import and use of biodiesel, improved maintenance for sea vessels and increased utilisation of fuel-efficient outboard motors.
Additional potential actions to contribute to mitigation and transformational change in the transport sub-sector include: urban and public transport planning, long-term electric transportation strategy, behavioural change, and alternative propulsion systems in maritime transport.
“The Roadmap recognises that while Fiji’s NDC is a genuine commitment to the Paris Agreement, it is also ambitious and requires substantial financing, human capital, technical capacity, technological/ technology uptake and international support to achieve the targets,” he said.
He further stated that the Roadmap acknowledges that Fiji will not be able to finance the suggested actions through its national budgetary process alone and identifies various alternative financing options for the effective implementation of the identified renewable energy actions.
“Through this Roadmap, Fiji sees itself as setting the pace in quantifying its NDC financing needs to provide clarity, confidence and structure to developed countries, private sector investors, development partners and bodies under the convention that are set-up to provide finance and technical resources but need assurance of country focus and policy commitment,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“Fiji is serious about its climate commitments and has developed other policy instruments such as the 5 and 20 Year National Development Plan, a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and the National Adaptation Plan Framework, that will form the basis of identifying climate change adaptation actions in the Fijian context. These policy documents are all interlinked with the NDC Roadmap.
“I am pleased to inform that these policy instruments will be launched at COP23 over the next two weeks.
“Together, these policy instruments are envisaged to create a robust working network (or package) of tools to build a low carbon and climate resilient society. “Indeed, despite being an insignificant contributor to global greenhouse emissions, Fiji continues to exemplify what it expects from the rest of the world.”