Climate Change

They hope to play a key role in discussions on how to implement the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting carbon emissions and helping to prevent global warming.

It will provide a forum to discuss paths forward through disaster risk reduction programs, legal guidelines, and potential land solutions.

The COP23 Oceans Action forum in Germany has heard the latest scientific evidence on how the effects of ocean warming, acidification, de-oxygenation, sea-level rise and increased storm activity, are making people more vulnerable to migration and displacement.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was speaking at the COP23 Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said while progress had been made in protecting ecosystems to enhance resilience to climate change, real incentives were needed to attract more investment in delivering nature based solutions.

Some countries and corporations are taking action to cut emissions from forest use and establish sustainable forestry management.

Meeting some members of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Vatican, the Pope shared the concerns of those exposed to frequent extreme environmental and climate events, and the impact of rising sea levels and the continuous deterioration of the barrier reef.

He blamed many of the causes of this “environmental decay” on the short-sighted human activity… connected with certain ways ‎of exploiting natural and human resources.

Mr Shaw and Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio are representing New Zealand at climate talks in Germany, and on the way there had an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The COP23 conference in Bonn is being convened under the presidency of Fiji, giving the international meeting a decidedly Pacific feel and focus.

The global conference on climate change is being chaired by Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, but Tonga's delegation will not include a cabinet minister.

Siaosi Sovaleni headed the ministry responsible for the environment and climate change until he was sacked days after Parliament was dissolved in August.

The election was subsequently brought forward a year to next week.

Mr Sovaleni said an unfortunate by-product is the lack of ministerial presence at COP 23.

Shaw is already working on allowing Pacific people to migrate to New Zealand if climate change forces them to flee their homes.
 
Shaw and Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio are attending the COP23 climate change meeting in Bonn, Germany, and also heading to Rome, Italy, for a meeting between the Pacific Island Forum leaders and Pope Francis.
 
COP23 lead by Fiji, and focus on the threat rising seas pose to low-lying nations such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu.
 

The Law and Climate Change Toolkit is aimed at government policy makers responsible for developing laws that help implement the Paris Agreement.

Fiji’s Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama is chairing the International Climate Change conference (COP23) which is currently being held here in Bonn, Germany.

Mr Paula Ma’u, the Head of the Tonga delegation and Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of MEIDECC said Tonga supports Fiji’s Presidency and the call by Mr Bainimarama for urgency on the part of world leaders and climate change negotiators.

This is to ensure that action is taken now rather than later as Tonga and other Pacific countries continue to experience the effects of climate change.

The UNEP's Emissions Gap 2017'report shows Australia is projected to miss its 2015 Paris Agreement pledge by more than a third.

Australia has said it will cut its 2005 emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2030.

The report released last night showed the country is projected to emit 592-million-tonnes of CO2-equivalent by 2030 compared with its maximum target of 440-million-tonnes.