Page 13 - IB October 2021

Cover

COP26 COP OUT?

MAKING GLASGOW MATTER

By Samantha Magick remains out of reach.
“But it is also clear from the science that there is hope for
“Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah, 1.5° in this decade. So, we must ensure that we keep 1.5 on
blah, blah. Net-zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. This is all we the table.”
hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but
so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown Participation
in their empty promises,” lamented youth climate activist, The Pacific will not have its usual level of participation
Greta Thunberg at the lead-up to COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. The long quarantine requirements, compli-
in Glasgow. cated routes and high flight and on-the-ground expenses are
Closer to home, the Head of the Roman Catholic Church in amongst the reasons.
Fiji, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong recently spoke of the need Seven Pacific Island states have said they will not be sending
for individual responsibility: “We need people to wake up and a leader or minister to Scotland and will be relying on their
live correctly. Our politicians are saying a lot about climate diplomatic representatives there, and the collective bargain-
change but allowing people to do the exact opposite. We ing position of the small islands states groupings. The valuable
need to impress the urgency of the Climate Crisis. We need contribution of Pacific community and non-government or-
our leaders at the COP26 to act as if the world is about to ganisations will also be diminished due to costs and logistics,
end.” although they have made a concerted attempt to use digital
Pacific Islands delegates are now readying to depart for this platforms to stay engaged.
year’s Conference of the Parties (COP) in Glasgow. The meet- While other key meetings have been held virtually this year,
ing under the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on there are concerns that holding the COP virtually would have
Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been preceded by a number of meant that badly needed momentum would be further lost.
lead up events, where the Pacific position has been strong and Marshall Islands Climate Change Director, Clarence Samuel
united, and perhaps best articulated by Pacific Islands Forum said they’ll be sending a small delegation. “We cannot ne-
Chair and Fiji Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, who told gotiate online,” Samuel told Radio New Zealand. “It’s hard
leaders, “Come with commitments to become net-zero before enough to negotiate in person. Our presence is important.”
2050. Do not come with excuses. That time is past.” Others like Fiji are sending larger delegations, despite some
More than 100 world leaders will meet in Glasgow for the criticisms at home that given the increasing debt burdening
first few days of the COP, a handful of them from the Pacific. the country, the optics of a large contingent of negotiators
COVID-19 related border closures and the sheer expense of and officials is sending the wrong signal to people struggling
the exercise means some Pacific leaders are unable to attend. to recover from the economic ravages of COVID-19.
After the high-level segment, the real work amongst officials
and environment ministers will begin to make meaningful Keeping 1.5 alive
commitments. The key to meeting the 1.5° target are ambitious Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs) and timely implementation
“A very, very small window” of their provisions.
When nations signed the landmark Paris agreement in 2015, NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national
they committed to holding global temperature rises to “well emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Under
below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while “pursuing ef- the Paris Agreement, each party must prepare, communicate
forts” to limit heating to 1.5°C. and maintain successive NDCs.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says At this stage, the UN says new and updated climate action
this means emissions need to fall by 45% (from 2010 levels) by plans from the countries to date would reduce greenhouse gas
2030, and then hit net-zero by 2050. emissions by just 12% by 2030.
To meet the 2°C target, a 25% reduction is necessary. Of the 115 countries that have submitted NDCs, 14 come
Even at 1.5°C, we would continue to see rising sea levels, from the Pacific: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,
the bleaching of coral reefs, and an increase in cyclones, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New
heatwaves, droughts, and other extreme weather events. Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Illustration: Sameera Young trends? UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa says the window a long-term framework for mitigating the effects of climate
Is it possible to meet either of these targets on current
This year Fiji passed its Climate Change Bill, which sets out
change, including clean energy measures and carbon trading.
for keeping global warming to 1.5°C was still open, but that it
The Act, “legally-binds Fiji to its commitment of net-zero
was a “very, very small window”.
The Marshall Islands’ Envoy on Climate Change, Tina Stege,
Continued on page 31
concurs. “There’s no question that 1.5° is a goal that still
Islands Business, October 2021 13