Page 8 - IB OCT 2017

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Bula vinaka and greetings from Fiji. below two degrees over the industrial age and
pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. But clear
We approach COP23 in November with the global evidence has emerged since Paris of an even
community at a crossroads in our collective more rapid deterioration in the state of the planet
response to climate change. The choices we than scientists had previously envisaged. And
make now will decide the fate of our planet and that demands a more urgent response.
have a huge impact on the lives of all 7.5 billion
people on earth. So it is vital that every global Together with my fellow Pacific Island leaders, I
citizen is aware of what is at stake and what am pressing for the lower 1.5 degree limit to be
needs to be done to avert catastrophe. pursued as quickly as possible, however difficult
this may be. The parties have already agreed to
I assume the COP23 Presidency as the first this over time but the pace must be accelerated
leader of a Pacific Small Island Developing State because the evidence shows that we have no time
to be given charge of the ongoing UN climate to waste. Even at the current average warming
negotiations. In doing so, I will be giving voice of one degree, the consequences are extremely
to the concerns and serious - including the
aspirations of one of the destruction of coral reefs
most climate vulnerable “The choices we make now will decide and many communities
regions on earth. It is the fate of our planet and have a huge being forced to higher
a great honour and a impact on the lives of all 7.5 billion ground – and any
great responsibility and people on earth. So it is vital that further delay is courting
I seek your prayers and disaster.
support. But I am eager every global citizen is aware of what is
to embrace the challenge at stake and what needs to be done to In the Pacific, three of
in the knowledge that my avert catastrophe.” our number - Kiribati,
fellow Pacific Islanders Tuvalu and the Marshall
and billions of people Islands - face being
around the world are looking to me for leadership, submerged by the rising seas altogether. So the
along with the rest of the Fijian COP team. stakes for us could not be higher. Fiji has offered
permanent refuge in a worst-case scenario to
In the lead-up to our gathering in Bonn, Germany, the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu, our nearest
from November 6-17, Fiji is forging a Grand threatened neighbours. But it is also my duty
Coalition of governments at every level, civil as COP President to stand up for all vulnerable
society, the private sector and every global citizen nations by reminding the global community as a
to keep up the momentum for decisive climate whole and especially the industrial nations - of
action. The Paris Agreement of 2015 commits us the urgent need to act.
to keeping the average global temperature well
hope of meeting the greatest challenge
humanity has ever faced.
Fortunately, the groundswell for climate
action in America remains strong. A
significant number of US states and
cities led by California - the sixth largest
economy in the world - have joined the
Under2 Coalition, that brings together
187 sub-national governments across the
world. And coupled with a strong push for
climate action from US business and civil
society, many ordinary Americans remain
committed to the full implementation of the
Paris Agreement.
My official task as COP President is to
It is also essential for the world to make a advance the implementation guidelines
greater effort to assist vulnerable nations to build and prepare for more ambitious climate action in
resilience to the extreme weather events, rising the Facilitative Dialogue of 2018. More broadly,
seas and changes to agriculture associated with I will be striving to maintain the momentum
climate change. In Fiji’s case, a tropical cyclone of the course we charted almost two years ago
last year killed 44 of our loved ones, left many and persuade the world that achieving the lower
thousands of our people homeless and destroyed 1.5 degree average temperature limit is now an
one third of our GDP. Our neighbours in Vanuatu absolute imperative.
suffered a similar As a symbol of our
disaster in 2015. We are all in the same canoe when it presidency, we will
Those of us living in comes to climate change; and in the be placing a Fijian
vulnerable nations ocean going canoe –
know that worse is forthcoming negotiations, we must fill a drua – in the main
to come and appeal the sail of that canoe with a collective foyer in Bonn. It is
to the world to help a reminder to the
future proof our determination to move the climate action
infrastructure and agenda forward. entire world that we
are all in the same
keep our people safe. canoe when it comes
We also need more affordable insurance to enable to climate change. No-one is immune to its
us to bounce back quicker after future disasters impact. And in the forthcoming negotiations, we
and cheaper and better access to alternative must fill the sail of that canoe with a collective
energy sources. determination to move the climate action agenda
forward. I appeal to every global citizen to join me
Fiji assumes the COP Presidency against on this journey for the sake of all humanity now
the backdrop of a serious challenge to the and the generations to come.
multilateral consensus for decisive climate
action that was reached in the Paris Agreement. Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
With the US Government signalling to
the world that it is reconsidering its
participation in the Agreement, we risk
undermining our collective response. We
cannot have the national government
of the world’s second biggest carbon
emitter leave this process and maintain
the current momentum for cuts in
carbon emissions. So I am appealing to
President Trump to stay engaged and
stay the course, just as I urge every
nation and every global citizen to remain
focused and totally committed to what
was agreed in Paris. It remains our best