Creating a sustainable ocean economy and encouraging impactful climate-related debates were the centre of discussions when United Kingdom’s Minister for the Pacific and the Environment Lord Goldsmith and Fiji’s Minister for Climate Change and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum convened a virtual meeting this week.
Deliberations from both government representatives evolved in collaboration to increase global ambition on reducing greenhouse gas emissions for adaptation and resilience for climate emergency response.
British High Commissioner George Edgar said the UK is adamant in stepping up its role in the international arena “but also leading by example and stepping up domestic action. As a country already facing impacts of climate change, Fiji’s voice is an influential one and we look forward to working together to ensure the Climate Action Summit is a success.”
Sayed-Khaiyum said the five years after the signing of the Paris agreement is more critical than ever.
“Yet nations’ collective climate commitments still fall well short of averting climate catastrophe for the planet. Every government on Earth must find the will to join us and position themselves for blue, green, and sustainable opportunities.
“The need to build climate resilience, meanwhile, is equally urgent. Fiji is working closely with our
partners, like the UK, to pioneer innovative financial solutions, such as blue bonds, to
bridge the gap in climate-related finance in the most vulnerable countries,” Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Also on the day of the conference, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined an ambitious ten-point plan for a green revolution to double down efforts to eradicate its contribution to climate change by 2015. The over £12 billion worth of investment covers clean energy, transport, nature, innovative technologies, build green jobs and industries of the future across the UK and the world.
The UK also targets to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030. The UK will host the United Nations Climate Conference of Parties in Glasgow, November next year.
Photo: Friend of COP26 and Fiji 7s captain. Courtesy of: UK In the Pacific
