Attorney General, Queries Pledges
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum pointed to the lack of formalisation and structure in climate finance.
Friday 05 November 2021 | 15:30
A-G meets Kerry: Attorney-General and Minister for Climate Change Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had the opportunity to present a copy of Fiji’s Climate Change Act to the first United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry. Photo: Office of the Attorney-General
As developed countries rolled out pledges of new and increased financial commitments at COP26 in Glasgow, countries on the receiving end of the impacts of climate change and climate finance remain sceptical.
Attorney-General and Minister for Climate Change Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was also critical.
He said: “It’s one thing for the pledge to be submitted and given, but how do we access those pledges?”
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He also questioned the cost and speed of accessing the funds.
“There needs to be more transparency when countries pledge. Do they have certain conditions that should go to mitigation or adaptation?”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum pointed to the lack of formalisation and structure in climate finance.
“The kind of structure we have requested – we have yet to see. We don’t know what will be available in two years, we don’t know if it will be in the form of grants or loans, with punishing interest rates?
“We don’t know how much will be allocated in adaptation and how much in mitigation. We don’t know what we can access successfully through the different funds.
“We don’t know if climate finance will be treated as debt or will there be an opportunity to have debt for nature swaps.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum described climate finance 2021 as volatile as the strengthened storms that rip through the fabric of Fiji’s economy, year in, year out.
The general sense of scepticism was evident during a panel discussion about Supporting Adaptation Plans.
Feedback: rosi.doviverata@fijisun.com.fj
