6 December 2023, Dubai UAE - As climate change negotiations continue at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) in Dubai, UAE, Leaders and Ministers from Pacific countries attending the conference gathered at the Pacific Delegation Office on Monday.
The Pacific Delegation Office is funded by Aotearoa New Zealand and managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), as part of a coordinated approach to amplify the One Pacific Voice at COP, calling for urgent and ambitious climate action to address climate change.
The Chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) and President of Palau, His Excellency Surangel Samuel Whipps, chaired the meeting of Ministers where they were updated on the progress of the Global Stocktake, mitigation and climate finance, amongst other COP28 issues.
“This COP is an opportunity to provide the global climate change negotiations with a course correction, to take stock of where we’ve got to in the process and to ramp up climate action to limit temperature increase to 1.5c in line with what the science tells us, which is that we are way off track,” President Whipps said.
The PSIDS Chair welcomed the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, which has already had more than USD$700 pledged to it by different countries but noted there is so much more work to be done.
SPREP’s Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, welcomed President Whipps and all the Pacific leaders to the Pacific Delegation Office. He said the impact of the Pacific Delegation Office, as well as the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, in the Climate COPs is immense and the coordination as well as the Pacific’s voice amplification at COP28 is proof of this.
“Our Pacific Islands voices are now seen and heard across the many different areas all of which help buoy our negotiations for our survival. Our Pacific stories ripple across every space possible,” he said.
On Monday, negotiations convened on many issues in informal consultations, particularly mitigation and adaptation issues. The Global Stocktake (GST) met in parties-only informal informals.
In the first four days of the Dubai COP, President of COP28, Dr Al Jaber, believes a high bar has been set for delivery, saying there is a real sense of momentum, traction, positivity, and excitement.
“I also can tell you that there is real hope out there, across the site and across everyone I came across. There is real hope and optimism that this is a major inflection point and we cannot miss the opportunity. This is our opportunity to deliver a real, tangible paradigm shift that will course-correct and put us on the right track of keeping 1.5 within reach.”
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 Pacific 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).