Page 19 - IB January 2024

Opinion Opinion

On the current pathway, the world will miss the 2.0 degree of climate change. No other region is as likely to face the
goal as well. physical loss of whole state geographies as this region.
It will possibly settle at a temperature increase that is This is nearly universally accepted.
closer to a 3.0 Celsius temperature increase. Second, island states know only too well that grant and
The small island states of the Pacific can continue to lobby concessionary finance can no longer provide the level
and hope that the world’s leaders in government, in business of financing that is needed. To fund these recalibrated
and in civil society will change track and offer far more priorities, Pacific Island states will need to work with their
ambitious climate actions than they have done at COP28. own private sector and increasingly with private finance
The new year is a time for new hope – but in matters as internationally. This is not easy. The Blue Pacific’s finance
important as state survival, hope cannot be a substitute for and economy ministers have their work cut out like never
strategy. Most of the national calculations and planning across before.
the Pacific are premised on the world agreeing to and securing
the 1.5 target. 3. Reformulating their climate diplomacy. More of the same
Realism now demands that Pacific governments begin cannot be the Pacific’s response to the climate-changed
preparing for post 2.0 Celsius temperature scenarios. reality that they now confront. What should the Pacific’s
These are almost always going to be more dramatic; more diplomacy now involve?
catastrophic and more unsettling scenarios. As a region, and as individual states, they will need to use
The Pacific’s governments would do well to kick start 2024 their leverage with individual countries to prioritise a step
with a renewed focus on the actions outlined below. up in their support for climate action in the region. This
step up needs to be real; substantive and focussed on the
1. Revisiting their climate and ocean action plans and “now” and not on promises well into the future. Second,
priorities. These new scenarios inevitably mean that they need to step up on their diplomacy in seeking
governments need to revisit their national, sector-specific accelerated climate actions in the domestic environments
and community-focused climate and ocean actions plans. of the countries seeking closer partnership with the
There should be three primary shifts that need to be Pacific.
considered. First is to fast-forward adaption plans – Petro-diplomacy needs to be met with a new, small state
especially those focused on building community resilience, assertiveness that is fit for purpose.
rebuilding food security and critical infrastructure Second, the time has come for the Pacific to use its
security. collectively power through the Pacific Islands Forum and
Second, is to lift the ambition levels within these all other regional settings to secure small state-specific
programs to take account of more dramatic and deeper funding instruments across all climate funds.
impacts of global warming such as on sea level rise, than This should focus on securing provisions for rapid
previously estimated. disbursement of funds; having fast track approval
Third, is to reduce the incubation time for preparation processes for small states and ensuring that funds are
of these critical high priority programs and speed up largely of a grant or ultra concessional and long-term
both the quality and pace of implementation. Time is nature. The beginning of any new year is a time to
of the essence. 2030 should be the outer year by which extend best wishes to people, communities and their
most of the large-scale adaption, loss and damage and governments.
mitigation programs should have proceeded to substantive The Global stocktake at COP28 was a wake-up call for
implementation phase. our region. The best I can offer to Pacific’s communities
and their governments in light of this stocktake is wishing
2. Recalibrating their climate priorities. As island states of the leaders of the Blue Pacific, energy peace, and an
the Blue Pacific recalibrate their climate priorities to take extraordinary amount of good luck as they undertake
account of the more rapidly changing world than most these three sets of actions that are needed between now
estimated only 2-3 years earlier, they need to focus on and 2030 to give the Blue Pacific back a fighting change.
getting the financing right. Business as usual for these states ended when the gavel
The costs of their adaption programs may have just went down at the end of COP28 in Dubai.
increased two to three-fold if the world stays at the
ambition level secured in the Dubai Consensus. The Dr Satyendra Prasad is Climate Lead for Abt Associates,
starting point of course as a region must be to lift the Australia, and Senior Fellow Carnegie Endowment for
region’s share of global climate finance from a low 0.02 International Peace, and former Fiji ambassador to the
per cent currently to at least 1.0 per cent of the total United Nations.
finance available. The Pacific should not be shy about this
ask. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the
The case for this has already been made. The island author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this
states of the Blue Pacific are the front of the frontlines publication.

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