Page 5 - Islands Business October 2023 edition

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The 21st Century individual is so surrounded by the term ‘climate change’ that
the whole idea of the threat it constitutes, has become lost on us. The unceasing
regularity with which it echoes all around us may have dulled us to the fact that it is
a clear and present danger.
Managing Director / Publisher
Netani Rika The reality is that for the people in the know, new developments are ringing in a
jarring scenario.
Editor
Richard Naidu Such as, when scientists at a recent, regional conference on ocean science in Fiji
said the ocean thermal spike forecast for 30 years down the line, is upon us now.
Editorial Consultant The connection was too obvious when another marine scientist, in an interview with
Samantha Magick
us, said the lack of realisation for urgent climate action is akin to the state of the
proverbial frog sitting in the slow-boil pot - oblivious to what’s happening.
The Pacific have been champions in the climate arena, taking every possible
opportunity and using every possible means—even litigation—to bring the developed
world to its senses about their obligations. And climate litigation is becoming a
Designer
favoured mechanism to apply pressure on developed nations who continue to shirk
Dick Lee
their responsibility, in apparent, complete denial of the danger.
Contributors It so happens that with the next COP meeting (COP28) taking place at the end of the
year in Dubai, we thought it would be interesting to see how an annual event that has
Nic Maclellan
acquired a rather jaded reputation, is shaping up to be.
Anirban Mahapatra
Lydia Nenai Let’s just say that the coverage makes for some worrying reading.
Eddie T. Paine
A world that stands tottering at a potentially cataclysmic edge is split between
Kite Pareti
those that want to save it—and the petrostates and those that will still want to pay
Vittoria Pasca patronage to “the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil
Joe Yaya fuels,” as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bluntly put it.
Essentially, that’s what this year’s COP28 will be all about. Whether or not world
leaders will move decisively on the petrostates and reign in fossil fuel production to
decarbonise the planet’s precious environment. The growing clamour for action is
going to be difficult to ignore.
Islands Business is published monthly by
Front Page Pte Limited Most of this issue is taken up by coverage on climate change-related issues but there
Editorial & Advertising Offices are some bright spots as well!
GPO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands Fiji rocked the Tier 1 strongholds of the Rugby World Cup last month, scoring a win
Tel: +679 9719660
for the developing Pacific teams in its victory over Australia – and becoming the
Emails champions in defeat to Wales, in a game that virtually every commentator said was
Editorial: editor@islandsbusiness.com taken away from them.
Subscriptions: subs@islandsbusiness.com
Advertising: marketing@islandsbusiness.com Apart from its regional and international implications, the win once again raises some
big questions about the untapped potential of the rugby giants of the South Pacific.
We look at some of those questions in our back pages this month.
Printing: In a country haunted by its treatment of its First Nation People, the referendum in
Printhouse Pacific Pte Limited, Suva, Fiji Islands Australia this month on creating a Voice in Parliament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders will have far reaching implications. There’s coverage of that as well.
We end on a lighter note as one of our contributors takes us on a Tongan tour of
February 2022 FJD $8 watching whales, those grand creatures of magnificence, their beautiful images
www.islandsbusiness.com
reminding us once again of the majesty of this planet we call home, and just how
much we take for granted when we don’t know any better, often because it’s hidden
away from sight.
Cover image: Courtesy of the Pacific Community (SPC) Until next month,
TONGAN RESILIENCE
BLINKEN VISIT • PANGUNA
Copyright © 2023 Front Page Pte Limited. Richard Naidu
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced without the written permission of the
publisher.
www.islandsbusiness.com

Islands Business, October 2023 5