As climate talks at the ongoing COP29 enter a second week, we sit down with Mr Chanel Iroi, of the Solomon Islands, and the Pacific’s lead Negotiator on Adaptation.
The one Pacific Voice at the world’s biggest climate change stage is advocating the message that adapting to climate change impacts is essential for the ongoing resilience of Pacific communities, and that the world must continue to scale up support for adaptation, even as discussions on Loss and Damage advances.
To achieve the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) targets agreed at COP28, Pacific countries are calling for robust indicators that reflect unique circumstances of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and avoid additional reporting burdens.
Question: When it comes to Adaptation at COP29, why is this important for Pacific countries?
Answer: There are two very important issues when it comes to the Pacific in terms of the Adaptation stream, there is one on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), and one on the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). These two issues are very important for our Pacific countries, who continue to suffer from the impacts of climate change, as we have been placed at the forefront even though this is a crisis we did not cause. This is why the agenda item on adaptation is very important for us, we must continue to advocate for the resources we need, in terms of the formulation of Adaptation Plans, and also implementation. We need the funds, the resources and all the support we can get for the smooth and efficient implementation of our Adaptation work on the ground.
Question: How are the COP29 negotiations on Adaptation going? Talk us through the progress, or perhaps the lack of progress?
Answer: On the Global Goal of Adaptation and National Adaptation Plans, I think we made very slow and little progress on the first week. These two agenda items are continuing into the second week, and will continue to advocate our key asks when it comes to adaptation, using our political champions to advocate for us. It’s very important that we get decisions on the Global Goal on Adaptation and National Adaptation Plans here in Baku. That is why it is important as we head into the second week, we will continue to have the political champions advocate for us.
Question: What can we expect in the coming days? What’s your gut feeling?
Answer: The second week of COP is always tense and very interesting. This is where things move up another level and for us in the Pacific, we will continue to do what we can but we will now increasingly look to our political champions, and our Ministers, to talk to the parties who oppose the issues that are critical to us, to try and find a way forward. Of course this work includes talking to developed country partners and colleagues within G77 and China to find areas where we can come to a compromise so that we can have a decision here in Baku by the end of COP29.