Fiji is a classic example of a country in the Pacific punching above its weight in climate change matters, says sustainable development advisor Taholo Kami.

Mr Kami yesterday held a seminar at the University of the South Pacific on Blue Economies, Climate Change and Sustainable Pacific Ocean states.

“What Fiji is doing is an amazing opportunity. We are seeing the challenges of healthy oceans here in the Pacific and we have to take that to the global world to take action on these issues. We can fix certain things that we can but there are others that need global action such as pollution,” Mr Kami said.

“Fiji is a classic case and the fact that Fiji is able to chair and not just chair- Fiji actually initiated the whole thing for UN Oceans Conference and to kick off the whole process for 2030- that for a small country is an amazing thing.”

The 2030 Agenda forms the new global development framework anchored around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a total of 169 targets covering economic, social development, and environmental protection.

SDG 14 deals specifically with the issues related to oceans and the need for immediate action to safeguard them.

“And being able to take the Presidency of Climate Change (COP23), it’s not just two big issues but the synergy between them. To be able to get through that climate action is ocean action and ocean action is doing things for climate.”

There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of the United States of America pulling out of the Paris Agreement.

Mr Kami said in the event that USA pulled out, other countries would have to step up, adding that different states in USA would also do their bit.

Participants at Taholo Kami’s lecture on Blue Economies Climate Change and Sustainable Pacific Ocean State Seminar at USP on May 2, 2017. Photo: Ronald Kumar.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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