3 December 2023, Dubai UAE - The Solomon Islands Government has welcomed the historic decision to capitalise and operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund (L&D) made on the first day of COP28 in Dubai, UAE.
The Loss and Damage Fund was agreed to at the COP27 in Egypt and its operationalisation process was result of the work of the Transitional Committee which made recommendations for endorsement by COP28.
The deputy Head of Solomon Islands delegation to the UNFCCC COP28, Dr. Melchior Mataki, welcomed the milestone decision, saying this was a priority for the Solomon Islands as part of the Pacific SIDS and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) at COP27.
“Solomon Islands welcomes the spirit of cooperation and commitment to operationalise the LnD fund and calls for similar cooperation be translated into reducing emissions which is the driver of LnD,” he said. “While we welcome the pledges being made in particular from developed country parties, we need to ensure that these pledges are being delivered so that loss and damage can be addressed in the most vulnerable countries like the Solomon Islands.”
Solomon Islands is amongst the most vulnerable countries to the impact of the climate crisis where communities and livelihoods have been devasted, entire islands going underwater and communities being driven from their homes, livelihoods and resources.
On top of that, the most vulnerable communities are grappling with the impacts of climate induced disasters and impacts due to coastal inundation, water, food security issues and scarce resources from both the land and sea. The rise in sea level is causing intensive coastal inundation that negatively impacts coastal and marine ecosystems and community livelihoods.
SPREP Climate Finance Readiness Advisor, Mr Fred Siho Patison, who has been providing support to Pacific SIDS, said the capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund is a positive step, with the issue of loss and damage being on the agenda for the past 30 years.
“This is a historic moment, but the real work is yet to be done to ensure that countries like the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries are able to access the financial resources to support vulnerable people and communities that need it the most,” Mr Patison said.
“The operationalisation of Loss and Damage Fund will unlock financial resources to address a variety of challenges associated with the adverse effects of climate change, such as climate-related emergencies, sea level rise, displacement, relocation, migration, insufficient climate information and data, and the need for climate-resilient reconstruction and recovery.”
The Solomon Islands Government continues to call for decisive action on the 100-billion-dollar goal, doubling of adaptation finance and a clear definition on climate finance to inform the discussion on a new collective and quantitative goal on climate change (NCQG).
Solomon Islands further join other small island development states to call on developed country parties to fulfill their commitments and obligation under the Parish Agreement to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive and take more action to support vulnerable countries-built climate change resilience.
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).