Small Island States raise concerns of Climate Change

The Island nation of Tuvalu one of the smaller Island States that faces the risk of rising sea levels every year

By FIDELIS SUKINA

Climate change remains one of the greatest threats to the livelihood, well-being and security of the peoples in the Pacific. For some, in particular the low lying islands, it’s a matter of survival.

In an effort to support their plight as small Island States (SIS) these 8 member nations Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu.

During the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Port Moresby after their meeting the chairman and Prime Minister of Tuvalu Enele Sosene Sopoaga gave a strong statement and highlighted the declarations

“First time SIS leaders were in a closed session for the summit for two hours sharing and raising concerns especially on climate change and leaders unanimously came up with a strong statement the called the SIS Port Moresby Statement raising the concerns of members of SIS who are suffering from Climate Change.” Sopoaga said

He added that they wanted to do a statement to urge the COP 21(Conference of the Parties) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deliver a legally binding agreement, which will:

a) Limit global average temperature increase to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels;

b) Ensure that human rights to exist as a people are protected;

c) Uphold the polluter pay principle;

d) Address all sources of greenhouse gas emissions including those from international transport;

e) Carry out a review to conduct a major renewal of international mitigation commitments every five years with flexibility for Small Island Developing

States and Least Developed Countries, to examine the most recent science, as well as pathways for higher ambition, and provide an opportunity to recommit to stronger action;

f) Include a mechanism to address loss and damage as a stand-alone element of the agreement and within that mechanism create a facility to effectively support people displaced by the impacts of climate change;

g) Ensure ease of access to adequate and predictable finance, technology and capacity building to ensure that Small Island Developing States and Least

Developed Countries can transition to fossil fuel free economies and to have the ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change; and,

h) Recognise the special circumstances of Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries and direct additional efforts to assist them meet the challenge of climate change.