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: Espen Ronneberg
Country: Republic of Marshall Islands/Norway
Q: How did you come to be involved in the climate change space?
A: I was working for the Marshall Islands government and was involved in the Negotiations team that they had for all negotiations. Climate change was one of the more important ones, so we had quite a few people and that’s how I started. I was one of the Junior guys on the team and then I became one of the Senior guys.
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: I find all of them to be interesting really. But in the past few years I’ve tended to go to the negotiations that were the most difficult or where we haven’t had enough Pacific islanders to cover the issue.
Q: What advice would you have for young Pacific islanders who would also like to be involved in this space?
A: You just have to follow the issues, do a lot of reading and a lot of listening. Keep on top of the subject that you’re most interested in and follow developments as it’s not an easy process. Also, learn how to be a good public speaker because that’s the most important part of the process – how you deliver the message you want to deliver.