10 October 2024, Nadi Fiji - Keeping global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels must remain the priority in all efforts to advance global climate ambition, especially for Pacific communities who have been unfairly placed at the forefront of climate change impacts.
That remains the overarching message from Pacific Climate Change Ministers and Officials who gathered in Fiji last week to discuss the Pacific’s thematic priorities on the road to the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Azerbaijan later this year.
“To be clear, the Pacific is the bedrock of the 1.5-degree target, the essence of our ability to overcome adversity and prosper into the future hangs in the balance until we can affirm this target can be achieved,” said Hon. Prof. Biman Prasad, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance.
“Maintaining the 1.5 degree guardrail is at the very centre - which means that transitioning away from fossil fuels is at the centre - and mobilising finance at the scale required to enable transition and protection is at the centre. The linkages and challenges are numerous but alignment with 1.5 degrees is what instructs and defines the scale of ambition across the agenda points and thematic areas.”
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister offered the reminder on the second day of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) COP29 Preparatory Meetings, held from 30 September – 3 October 2024 at the Crowne Plaza. The COP29 preparatory meetings includes the one-day Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa with Australia and New Zealand, held 1 October.
Australia and New Zealand have been strong supporters of Pacific countries’ efforts to fight climate change and keep the 1.5 to stay alive campaign.
Two years ago, Australia’s Climate Change Minister, Hon. Chris Bowen announced a joint Australia-Pacific bid to host COP31 in 2026. The unique opportunity to work with Pacific countries to secure a defining moment for climate, nature and communities, if called on to host COP31 in 2026, was a key item on the agenda for Pacific Ministers in Fiji.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister said there are a number of factors Pacific Leaders must consider as they look to COP31. The upcoming COP29 is a critical step.
“By this point in 2026, we will have tipped into the final years leading up to 2030. As we are fully aware, 2030 is a marker for existing NDCs, for the SDGs, and for the progress required to secure the 1.5-degree pathway,” said Hon. Prof. Biman. “There are various different scenarios to consider when looking ahead to COP31 but what is important is the intention.”
Looking ahead, the Deputy Prime Minister said past experiences provide guidance. In this case, Fiji’s COP23 Presidency comes to mind. Said Hon. Biman: “It was also important as a means to bring attention to Pacific needs, circumstances and priorities – but we were unable to host the COP here in the Pacific. The opportunity to convene the COP itself within our region is both a significant undertaking and a significant opportunity.”
Honourable John Salong, Vanuatu's Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, as PSIDS Chair, reminded COP29 is a critical juncture in history.
Recent reports confirm that 2023 was the warmest year on record in terms of global average temperatures. Projections indicate a 95% probability that 2024 will surpass this record, with the first six months of 2024 each setting new temperature records. This alarming trend has resulted in 63 countries experiencing their warmest June on record.
Record levels of ocean heat and acidification, rising sea levels, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones are causing widespread misery and chaos, disrupting daily life for many communities around the Pacific region.
“We cannot afford to normalise these record-breaking temperatures annually, as this trajectory threatens our long-term existence, and our global goal of limiting temperature rise to below 1.5°C,” said Hon. Salong. “Esteemed Ministers, let this dialogue be a talanoa of conviction and engagement. Let us reinvigorate the call for “1.5 to stay alive” and ensure our efforts for survival are not in vain. Let us seize this opportunity to collaborate and urge our global partners to act with urgency to safeguard the lives of our people who depend on our leadership.”
COPs are hosted in a different country each year and are organised within the five regional groupings of the United Nations: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Europe and Others. Within their respective grouping, countries bid to host future COPs, and if the bid is approved, that country assumes the COP Presidency for an entire year.
In 2023, COP28 was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on behalf of the Asia Group, and with almost 100,000 participants, it was by far the largest COP ever held. In 2024, COP29 will be held in Azerbaijan on behalf of the Eastern Europe grouping and Brazil, on behalf of Latin America and the Caribbean Group, will host COP30 in 2025.
During the Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa, Australia’s Climate Change Minister, Hon. Chris Bowen, said that Australia is a part of the Pacific family, and as such, it understands the impact climate change is having on our region. The bid for COP31 is part of Australia delivering real action on climate change, including being part of the global solution.
“Climate change is no longer a threat, it's a reality, the nations of the Pacific know that and so does Australia. The Australian Government is partnering with our closest neighbours to deliver on their ambitious emissions reduction targets and manage investment planning for low emissions development,” Hon. Bowen said.
The High-Level Ministerial Talanoa was co-facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIFS) as part of the One CROP present.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place from 11-22 November 2024 in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.
The Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) COP29 Preparatory Meetings for Climate Change Ministers and Officials and the Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa with Australia and New Zealand, from 30 September – 3 October 2024 at Crowne Plaza Fiji, was funded by the Government of Australia and facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP).
The meetings focused on the Pacific’s priority thematic areas for climate change negotiations and allowed discussion on strategic directions and agreed regional positions ahead of COP29.