Climate Change Resilience
12 December 2014, Lima, Peru - "We cannot fail our people and future," was the passionate plea from the Solomon Islands to the High Level Segment at the UN Climate Convention in Lima, Peru.
The Solomon Islands is one of 21 parties that have ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol which is the second commitment period. In order for it to enter into force 123 instruments of acceptance are still to be submitted.
Dr. Melchior Mataki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Solomon Islands.
"It is worrying to see the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol has yet to come into force," said Dr. Melchior Mataki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Solomon Islands.
"I call on all Parties who have not done so to do so."
Time will tell whether or not the global community will listen to the pleas of the small island developing state.
While the new global treaty must be signed off before the end of December next year, the 20th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima, Peru, lays the foundation for a global treaty that can save the planet.
So far, on the eve of when the climate change negotiations are meant to come to an end on Friday 12 December, the negotiations are not moving fast enough to finish on time. As history shows, often times the negotiations can continue 24 hours through the night and possibly through the weekend without any break.
"We must deliver a draft text of the 2015 Agreement here in Lima. Solomon Islands can only sign onto an Agreement that guarantees our survival," presented Dr. Matamaki.
"The Solomon Islands welcomes the progress in negotiations but remains concerned about the low global mitigation ambition and the encumbered, unpredictable and unclear flow of resources to support developing countries become resilient to climate change and transform into low carbon societies."
"In our view, a temperature target of below 1.5 degree Celsius is pertinent to ramp up global mitigation ambition."
The Solomon Islands are calling upon the international community for Loss and Damage to be imbedded as an element of the 2015 agreement. The island nation is concerned that there is a limit to adaptation and already they are suffering from the impacts of climate change over and above their development challenges.
"I would to close with a plea that the 2015 Agreement must be fair, comprehensive, meaningful, ambitious, and based on the convention," presented Dr Mataki to the UN Climate Convention.
"It is our last chance to get it right. We can do it, let us do it, for we cannot fail our people and future."
To access the full statement please visit: http://unfccc.int/meetings/lima_dec_2014/statements/items/8733.php
The Solomon Islands is one of 21 parties that have ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol which is the second commitment period. In order for it to enter into force 123 instruments of acceptance are still to be submitted.
Dr. Melchior Mataki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Solomon Islands.
"It is worrying to see the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol has yet to come into force," said Dr. Melchior Mataki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Solomon Islands.
"I call on all Parties who have not done so to do so."
Time will tell whether or not the global community will listen to the pleas of the small island developing state.
While the new global treaty must be signed off before the end of December next year, the 20th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima, Peru, lays the foundation for a global treaty that can save the planet.
So far, on the eve of when the climate change negotiations are meant to come to an end on Friday 12 December, the negotiations are not moving fast enough to finish on time. As history shows, often times the negotiations can continue 24 hours through the night and possibly through the weekend without any break.
"We must deliver a draft text of the 2015 Agreement here in Lima. Solomon Islands can only sign onto an Agreement that guarantees our survival," presented Dr. Matamaki.
"The Solomon Islands welcomes the progress in negotiations but remains concerned about the low global mitigation ambition and the encumbered, unpredictable and unclear flow of resources to support developing countries become resilient to climate change and transform into low carbon societies."
"In our view, a temperature target of below 1.5 degree Celsius is pertinent to ramp up global mitigation ambition."
The Solomon Islands are calling upon the international community for Loss and Damage to be imbedded as an element of the 2015 agreement. The island nation is concerned that there is a limit to adaptation and already they are suffering from the impacts of climate change over and above their development challenges.
"I would to close with a plea that the 2015 Agreement must be fair, comprehensive, meaningful, ambitious, and based on the convention," presented Dr Mataki to the UN Climate Convention.
"It is our last chance to get it right. We can do it, let us do it, for we cannot fail our people and future."
To access the full statement please visit: http://unfccc.int/meetings/lima_dec_2014/statements/items/8733.php