THE Solomon Islands delegation to the High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change currently underway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates has challenged World Leaders to act swiftly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while easing hurdles to accessing global climate funds to address existing impacts on worst affected countries.
The current impact of climate change in Solomon Islands reaches a threatening level causing loss to low-lying Islands.
As discussions and negotiations are in full force to come up with solutions for vulnerable countries suffering the impacts of climate change at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework (COP28), Solomon Islands reminds leaders that its future climate projection is not favorable.
Speaking at the High Level Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change, the Solomon Islands Minister for Lands, Housing and Survey, Hon Ismael Avui informed world leaders of how climate change is affecting Solomon Islands.
Hon Avui said Climate projections into the future are clearly not favorable for the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Islands.
“We are least responsible for causing climate change, and yet, we are disproportionately affected by it and the impacts will continue to heighten if global greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, and reversed drastically and at haste”.
“Whilst we are grappling with our development challenges, climate change is rude and unwelcomed”
Minister Avui added the gap between Solomon Islands adaptation needs and funds availed for climate action is too wide and puts to shame all these global processes including meetings such as COP28 which have been going on for nearly 3 decades.
He stressed that finance is critical to address the loss and damage associated with climate change, adaptation and mitigation in Solomon Islands.
“Finance is a critical enabler of actions to address climate change. It is important that climate finance is defined in line with the Paris Agreement.
“Financial resources intended to address adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage must be grant-based, based on country allocations, transformational, easy to access and available to sub-national entities such as towns and Municipalities”
Meanwhile the Solomon Islands delegation to COP28 involved in providing inputs in the best interests of Solomon Islands on financial mechanisms for loss and damage, the Global Stock Take, Climate Change and Adaptation mechanisms among others.
All of the delegation’s negotiations are geared towards influencing the outcomes of the summit.
SOURCE: Government Communication Unit