Stronger role urged for resource ministries in carbon trade

Government must ensure that its natural resource ministries play a stronger role in Fiji’s carbon trade plans, says Opposition Member of Parliament, Semi Koroilavesau

He said collaboration was key to achieving both national and global climate goals.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Koroilavesau was responding to a ministerial statement by the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, Alitia Bainivalu, on Government’s interim plan for transferring emission reduction units (ERUs) under Fiji’s carbon trade agreement with the Carbon Fund of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.

Ms Bainivalu had explained that Government was required to transfer 2.5 million euros to the Carbon Fund, which would generate up to $28.4 million as results-based payments.

She also outlined an alternative pathway for the transfer, using existing legal frameworks for land leases and deeds of assignment, while awaiting the full implementation of Part 10 of the Climate Change Act 2021.

The interim pathway aims to protect landowners’ rights, secure their consent, and ensure equitable sharing of carbon payments. While Mr Koroilavesau commended the minister’s initiative to secure the first payment before the 2025 deadline. However, he warned that the efforts could be hampered if key resource ministries were not fully involved in the process.

“The Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry must be an important part of the national discussions and the COP meetings,” Mr Koroilavesau said.

“Without their active participation, it will be difficult to measure Fiji’s progress toward reducing emissions and implementing low-emission development strategies.”

Fiji’s Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS), was developed in 2018 with support from the Global Green Growth Institute, providing a framework for long-term decarbonisation and requires input from multiple ministries to ensure national strategies align with international climate commitments.

Including these ministries in the discussions would help strengthen Fiji’s ability to meet its climate targets, safeguard the rights of vulnerable communities, and ensure that payments from carbon trading are efficiently managed and delivered.

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