Climate Watch: Facing Up to the Challenge of Climate Change

Over the next few weeks, world leaders will come together in key moments that will determine the future of humanity on this planet.  Next week will see the G20 Summit in Rome, bringing together leaders of 20 of the world’s richest nations. The UN COP26 climate change conference will be hosted by the British Government in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November.

In their recent statement on COP26 for a 1.5˚ world, the Pacific ACP leaders reiterated that the COVID-19 pandemic is not an excuse to delay ambitious climate action, and reaffirmed that climate change remains the single greatest threat facing the Blue Pacific region.

Pacific Leaders insisted that sustainable economic recovery should be catalysed through investments that are clean, climate-smart and in line with net zero emissions by 2050, and called on the nations of the G20 to make decisive commitments on climate action.

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirms unequivocally that the unprecedented changes in the climate are caused by human activities, and without deep reductions in global emissions levels the world is on track to surpass 1.5°C by 2040, which will be catastrophic for the Pacific and for the world as a whole.

What will happen at COP26?

Because of Covid-19, it has been two years since the world’s governments met to discuss these issues. There are numerous difficult issues to be resolved, and representatives from across the Pacific, and around the world, will often work well into the night over the two weeks of COP26.

The conference will aim to finalise the Paris Agreement and increase climate action across the planet, to keep global warming and climate change to levels that do not cause the large scale breakdown of the global ecosystem.

To do this countries must set a pathway to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to keep 1.5°C within reach. That means reductions of 45-50% by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. Existing commitments fall far short of this target, and would actually mean a rise in emissions of 16% by 2030. It is clear that the big emitting countries need to go further and faster.

One important aspect is the urgent need to phase out power plants running on coal, the most polluting fossil fuel.  A growing number of countries have committed to ending overseas investment in coal, but we need to see an end to domestic investment, and plans for the rapid phase-out of existing coal-fired plants.

The conference in Glasgow will also focus on the delivery of US $100 billion per year in climate finance with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation. We have seen progress over the last months, with all the G7 countries pledging increased delivery of climate finance, but we remain some way from the target.

The Pacific at COP26

The Pacific presence at COP26 is smaller than in previous years because of the challenges COVID-19 presents, especially to remote island nations. Despite this, Pacific Small Island Developing States will play a crucial role in pushing for ambitious outcomes.

To strengthen engagement at COP26, the region has appointed Political Champions for a number of priority issues. The Republic of the Marshall Islands leads on Climate Ambition, while Fiji will be the Political Champion on Oceans and Climate Finance. Tuvalu will lead on Environmental Integrity and Loss and Damage.

Fiji will have a strong delegation, led by Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and Attorney General and Minister of Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. The UK and Fiji have a long history of working together to tackle the challenges of climate change.  Both nations have committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and are strong advocates for greater ambition and action.  As the UK prepares to host COP in Glasgow, our countries continue to work together to seek opportunities to further this important agenda.

In a recent conversation Prime Minister Bainimarama and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed on the importance of encouraging G20 countries to make commitments ahead of COP26 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The two Prime Ministers shared views on the importance of international climate finance and of hitting the US $100 billon target, and advancing work on oceans issues. The UK has recently agreed to provide £400,000 of technical assistance in support of Fiji’s ambitious plans to launch a Blue Bond to attract finance for ocean sustainability.

UK leads by example ahead of COP26

As COP26 President, the UK has led by example, earlier this week publishing its Net Zero Strategy. The Strategy sets out a comprehensive set of measures to enable the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050 across the whole economy.

The strategy outlines measures to transition to a green and sustainable future, helping businesses and consumers to move to clean power, supporting hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs and leveraging up to £90 billion of private investment by 2030.

Highlighting UK’s climate leadership COP President-Designate Alok Sharma said that the publication of the Net Zero Strategy shows the wealth of opportunities, including thousands of new skilled jobs, that a transition to a green economy can herald.

“With COP26 opening in less than two weeks, leaders stepping up with more commitments has never been more urgent. I’m calling on countries across the world, particularly the G20, to commit to net zero by mid-century, ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets and to set out credible implementation plans so we can limit global warming and keep the goal of 1.5°C within reach”, said Mr. Sharma

Initiatives taken by many countries around the world have shown that we have the technology and the resources to switch our economies to clean energy, to build a better relationship with nature, and to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. What is needed over the coming weeks – and over the years that follow - is the political will to prioritise the interests of the vulnerable and of future generations, and to make those essential changes.

Source: British High Commission in Suva

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