Prince Charles has congratulated the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, for being a vocal and strong advocate of climate change.

The Prince of Wales made the remarks when he met Mr Bainimarama and his delegation at his residence in Clarence House yesterday.

Prince Charles said he appreciated Mr Bainimarama’s leadership roles in most of the climate conferences, particularly, the COP23 in Bonn, Germany.

He said at the bilateral meeting that the devastation caused by climate change was a serious matter that needed immediate action and not prolonged discussions.

Importance of decarbonisation

He said the importance of decarbonisation, the use of the three Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), sustainable management practices and forestation, among other initiatives were paramount in the fight against climate change.

Prince Charles recollected his last visit to Fiji and discussed with Mr Bainimarama the threats of climate change to low lying areas.

He thought of those attached to their ancestral burial sites and their land and were at risk because of the rising sea and water level, along with other impacts of climate change.

With the availability of modern technologies to combat climate change, he highlighted the need for nations to capitalise on such equipment for the purpose of decarbonisation.

He also highlighted the importance of an economy promoting sustainable development.

He encouraged Fiji to learn more from the European Forest Institute. He said it was an organisation that conducted research and provided policy support on forest-related issues.

Mr Bainimarama acknowledged Prince Charles statement and Fiji’s support towards the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings (CHOGM).

Fiji’s plans for the future

Mr Bainimarama also briefed Prince Charles about Queen Elizabeth’s canopy project at Colo-i-Suva.

He said Fiji’s commitment towards mitigating the impacts of climate change, strengthening nature-based solutions and building our overall resilience was what makes them proud custodians of the Queen’s canopy project.

“The project is symbolic for its underlying purpose in promoting the fulfilment of the Paris Agreement and our SDG commitments,” he said.

He also spoke about Fiji’s nation-wide project of planting four million trees in four years, a commitment towards the conservation of our environment.

He also highlighted the significance of the Commonwealth.

He said that it had been a vital platform for amplifying the issues and concerns of Small Island Developing States.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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