In this series, we will be introducing you to some of our Pacific island negotiators and delegates, who are the people representing our islands at the Climate Change negotiations now underway.
The Twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP25) is hosted in Madrid, Spain from 2 – 13 December, 2019.
Pacific negotiators and delegates have been working in the rooms amplifying our Pacific voice and our Pacific asks.
We hope you enjoy this series getting to know more of our Pacific Island negotiators and delegates.
Name: Maryann Puia
Country: Solomon Islands
Q: How did you come to be involved in the climate change space?
A: I am a student at the University of the South Pacific and we have a student organisations called the “Pacific islanders fighting climate change” and as part of that participation, I was recommended by another youth activist to Greenpeace Pacific who were able to fund my participation at COP25 as a Pacific island youth activist.
Q: What is an issue or issues of importance to you country and to the Pacific that you’ve been following here at COP25?
A: One of the main issues that is very interesting for me here is Loss and Damage, as well as Climate Change Finance. I wasn’t really aware of what Climate Change Finance until I came to COP25 and attended side events centred around the topic.
Q: What advice would you have for young Pacific islanders who would also like to be involved in this space?
A: The very first advice I would give them is to try and be educated on what climate change is. When I came here I understood what climate change was but my knowledge wasn’t as deep as I wanted it to be and I would tell them to read as much as they can on the topic. Also, my second advice would be to participate in youth activism on climate change. There is a great movement right now involving youth who are fighting for their future because at the end of the day, it is our future that is at risk because of climate change, and I think youth need to really understand that. It’s not just about suing the Governments or suing the companies – it’s about fighting for our future because with the climate crisis right now, there is no guarantee that we will still have our islands in 30- or 40-years’ time. With that, we will lose our identities, our customs and our traditions which are embedded in these islands.