The Cook Islands has called upon the world to draw from a shared sense of humanity as inspiration for tangible, transformative outcomes from COP29 at the world’s largest climate change conference now underway in Baku Azerbaijan.
Hon Prime Minister Mark Brown took center stage at the Twenty-Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change addressing world leaders stressing the role of climate finance as the essential ingredient for climate action.
“Developing countries need sufficient and reliable support to implement the Paris Agreement effectively. For Small Island Developing States, specific finance provisions within the Paris Agreement recognise our unique vulnerabilities. A successful New Collective Quantified Goal must reflect this,” presented Prime Minister Brown.
“We call for minimum allocation floors on the New Collective Quantified Goal for SIDS, directly linked with the provision goal. This floor should be no less than 40 billion in grant-equivalent terms per year—a conservative estimate based on our pressing needs.”
The New Collective Quantified Goal will be adopted at COP29, known as the “Climate Finance COP”. The NCQG on Climate Finance will replace that agreed to in the Paris Agreement in 2015 of USD 100 billion per year. The new finance goal is to be adopted at COP29 for which the Small Islands are calling for an ambitious NCQC that aligns with achieving the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal.
“To achieve meaningful progress, Small Islands Developing States a must have access to high levels of concessional finance. This means grant funding for adaptation efforts, not loans, it means grant-based finance for loss and damage response,” stated the Cook Islands Prime Minister.
“Do the right thing by our countries, don’t make us jump hoops and then wait. Accelerating the financing support will bring us closer to scaled-up finance and improved access envisioned by the Paris Agreement.”
Directly addressing the G20 countries that contribute 80 percent of carbon emissions, Prime Minister Brown highlighted the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius remains within reach but only if they act decisively.
He stressed the leadership demonstrated by our Pacific Islands wo are mitigating climate change through ambitious projects resulting in 100 per cent renewable energy.
“Science is clear: the world is warming, and the transition away from fossil fuels is non-negotiable, as underscored by last year’s Global Stock-take Outcome. This challenge goes beyond economics; it is about safeguarding our communities’ resilience, even in the remotest corners,” said Prime Minister Brown.
“Climate change is not a distant threat; it is a present reality that we face every day in the Pacific. And now we see its impact in the developed countries with Spain being the latest victim just a couple of weeks ago. We don’t need to be enemies to each other – climate change is and will continue to be the biggest enemy to all of us. We need to work together.”
After close to 30 years of negotiating for their survival on the frontlines of climate change impacts, the Cook Islands Prime Minister is now frustrated by inaction, of being continually unheard and by the resistance faced to the necessary scale-up of climate finance.
He closed his statement to world leaders querying commitment for action for future generations.
“For the sake of those most vulnerable, we must set a path forward that aligns with the urgent realities we face. My country is ready, again, to play its part. The question remains: are we ready to act decisively and collaboratively for future generations?”
Prime Minister Mark Brown presented his statement on behalf of the Cook Islands during the High-Level Segment of COP29 on 13 November 2024. The Twenty-Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change is taking place in Baku Azerbaijan from 11 – 22 November 2024.