1 December 2023, Dubai UAE - With more than 70,000 people expected at COP28 in Dubai, UAE, including more than 170 Heads of States and Government leaders, the President of Palau, His Excellency Surangel Samuel Whipps, says this is a prime opportunity to unite, act, and get back on track to achieve the 1.5c target.
President Whipps made the point on Friday when he addressed the High level plenary of the Global Climate Action Summit of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) from Thursday 30 November 2023 – Tuesday 12 December 2023.
“Palau and our fellow SIDS contribute the least to global emissions, however, we suffer the most from the climate crisis, which is also an ocean crisis,” President Whipps said.
“Our ocean feeds us, protects us, and defines us. We must protect it in return. That’s why Palau and the Pacific family are committing — at this COP — to manage 100% of our ocean and protect at least 30%. This benefits not only us, but the entire world because a healthy ocean is a healthy planet.”
COP28 is taking place in a year where global temperatures continue to soar and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reaching unprecedented levels. This worsens the impacts of climate change, for which Palau and Pacific countries are placed at the forefront of.
For this reason, the President of Palau reiterated that dramatic climate action is needed, calling on fellow world leaders to respect the limits of nature, now.
“We are witnessing the consequences of ignoring these limits—floods, droughts, heat, famine, death. We need to mobilise at least $100 billion annually to support the most vulnerable. It also must be accessible! It cannot be more debt that is drowning us,” said President Whipps.
Palau, as the Chair of the Pacific Small Islands States (PSIDS), is among Pacific countries advocating for a 1.5c degree world at COP28. A key part of their work sees Leaders and delegates tell their stories and the President of Palau shared some of his with world leaders.
“We have an ancient concept in Palau called ‘bul,’ which means to pause the harvesting so the ocean can heal and rejuvenate. In 2007, we declared a bul on the harvesting of bumphead parrot fish, it was difficult because they are a source of food and livelihoods. Thankfully, sixteen years later, they have recovered,” President Whipps said.
“The fish spawn every month, creating an underwater fireworks display that is now a tourism attraction. Also a single fish produces 5.5 tons of sand a year. The sand is critical to protecting coastal erosion. We need to respect the limits of nature and apply this concept globally.”
The President also told a Palauan legend of the two-headed eel that grew with one head on either side of a rock. Unaware of the other, they would pull each other as they went after prey. They began to starve and finally realised they were connected and had to work together to survive and thrive.
“We are sovereign countries however we share one planet. We are stronger together and like the two-headed eel, we must unite, act and deliver to keep 1.5 alive,” said the President.
Climate negotiators have a full agenda in Dubai this week, with the completion of the first Global Stocktake (GST) under the 2015 Paris Agreement a key ticket item. The GST is to assess collective progress towards achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement, notably looking at the state of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation efforts, and finance flows. This assessment, which is to take place every five years, is intended to guide the course of further climate action.
The historic agreement to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund on Thursday has been viewed as a major breakthrough.
But there is so much more work to be done for negotiators and officials at COP28, and Palau has called for all hands on deck to ensure this happens.
“Climate change does not discriminate, and neither should we,” President Whipps said.
The 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) in Dubai, UAE is taking place from Thursday 30 November 2023 – Tuesday 12 December 2023.
It is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.
A key part of amplifying the One Pacific Voice at COP28 is the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, which is a Pacific partnership with Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.
Another key part of the Pacific’s work at COP28 is the Pacific Delegation Office, which is a partnership with Aotearoa New Zealand. Both the Moana Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office are managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Photo Credit: UN Climate Change