Prime Minister Manele calls for urgent action on climate change as PIF leaders meeting goes underway
BY BEN BILUA
PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has called for urgent action on climate change and its impacts in the Pacific region.
He made the statement during the opening of Pacific ACP Leaders meeting held at Forum Fisheries Agency conference room yesterday.
Manele said the pacific region is at the forefront of climate change and global shocks making it a serious matter to consider.
“Our share of resources must reflect not only our vulnerabilities, but also our commitment to be responsible and reliable partners.
“As we approach COP30, it is essential that we empower a new cohort of Champions to carry forward the pacific collective call for climate justice.
“At the same time, we must seize every opportunity in the lead-up to COP30 to advance this call and reaffirm our firm resolve to bring COP31 to our shores, in partnership with Australia.
“And while the Secretary General has rightly spoken on development financing, allow me to add this: for the Pacific, financing is not just about numbers — it is about equity, justice and fairness,” he said.
Manele told leaders that the Pacific has shown commitments through the Climate Champions initiative and that political advocacy can elevate regional priorities on the world stage.
He acknowledged the progress made on the Pacific Resilience Facility which will be endorsed by leaders on Wednesday this week.
“We progressed the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) — our first Pacific-owned financing mechanism for resilience.
“Tonga’s hosting of the PRF is an important custodian role for the first Pacific-led and owned regional climate and disaster resilience financing mechanism dedicated to Pacific communities at the front line of the climate crisis,” Manele said.
The Pacific ACP (PACP) members include the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The current chair of Pacific ACP [PACP] is Jeremiah Manele.
