PM Calls for Nations to Align Themselves With Nationally Determined Contributions
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has called for nations to align themselves with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to five-year time-frames.
NDCs incorporate efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
While delivering his statement on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States in Madrid, Spain at the 25th session of the Conference of Parties (COP25), he said nations must agree on the governance modalities, procedures, and guidelines for carbon markets under Article 6 without delay.
“We must seek out new and innovative ways to address loss and damage, and Pacific Small Island Developing States call for the establishment of a new financing window within the Green Climate Fund –– and a means for its implementation –– to do so.” Mr Bainimarama said PSIDS must ensure it reaches the US$100 billion per year climate finance goal by 2020.
“And we must begin work on setting a new collective goal for climate finance for 2025 and beyond.”
Building the climate the urban poor
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During a side event on building the Climate Resilience of the Urban Poor initiative Mr Bainimarama said 16 settlements in Fiji that are currently developing resilience plans with UN Habitat, soon to break ground on life-changing climate adaptation projects.
“Time and again, at every community I visit, Fijians look me in the eyes and ask for one of two things: a seawall or a cyclone shelter.
On the front lines of climate change, these Fijians see first-hand that adaptation is necessary, and it is necessary now.”
But to achieve the type of transformative adaptation necessary to protect the urban poor, Mr Bainimarama said work must extend far beyond the typical infrastructure upgrading projects.
“That’s why in Fiji, we created a National Adaptation Plan to map out the many far-reaching ways we can have the greatest impact.”