14 May 2015, Apia, Samoa, PCCR - The voice and position of the Pacific will be heard and heard loudly during final negotiations for a new climate change agreement in France later this year.
The assurance was made by David Sheppard, Director General of SPREP, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, to delegates attending the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable, that concludes in Apia, Samoa today.
"Failure at COP 21 in Paris is not an option for our Pacific countries," says Mr Sheppard.
"Our leaders have reminded us that climate change is a matter of national security in our region and that the Parties in Paris must commit to the strongest legally biding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If we don't, then our peoples, and our future generations will suffer the consequences."
Working together is the way to go. Mr Sheppard said this collaboration is taking place at all levels; between island governments, inter-governmental organisations like the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific, and with donor countries like those in the European Union that share the Pacific position for the need to have a legally binding agreement on climate change.
"We have a saying from our region; if you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together. On COP 21, we must go together. We must work together as small islands across the Pacific, across the Caribbean, across the Indian Ocean to work for the best outcome from Paris."
Mr Sheppard said SPREP would work together with partners to help ensure sustainable and long-term financial support that would enable Pacific island countries to adapt and respond to a changing climate and to natural disaster, as well as to create a platform for our Pacific leaders convey our position at COP 21 in Paris in December.
"Climate convention COP's are overwhelming, they are incredibly crowded spaces with everyone vying for attention to get their message across. Leaders of our most vulnerable countries including articulate leaders from our low lying atoll countries of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands should be given the chance and platform to give our message of vulnerability and urgency directly to the world through COP 21."
SPREP he said has been working for the last 25 years in providing support to island countries enhance their engagement in climate change negotiations through training, technical and policy advice, as well as media support. –
The Pacific Climate Change Roundtable is held from 12 – 14 May in Apia, Samoa. The event in its current format has been coordinated by SPREP with guidance from a steering committee.
The PCCR has been made possible with support from the Government of Switzerland, Government of Samoa, Government of Australia, European Union, GIZ, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Pacific Council of Churches (PCC). Additional funding support was provided by the EU-GIZ Adapting to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (ACSE) Programme, and Climate Analytics through its High Level Support Mechanism (HLSM) project as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Samisoni Pareti/#pccr2015
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