BY JARED KOLI
SOLOMON Islands Government is committed to review and enhance its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to put the country back on a 1.5 degrees Celsius trajectory, guided by IPCC’s Special 1.5 degrees Celsius Report due out next year.
This was echoed by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Dr Melchior Mataki when addressing world leaders at the global Climate Change conference in Bonn, Germany last week.
He told COP23 President and Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama that Solomon Islands is committed to work with Fiji through the Talanoa Dialogue.
“This should preserve the credibility and integrity of the Paris Agreement. My delegation calls for more Pre-2020 action, in particular those who have not signed the Doha Amendment to do so with a sense of urgency to put the Paris Agreement on a firmer foundation by 2020.
“On adaptation, Solomon Islands considers the Adaptation Fund to serve the Paris Agreement a natural step, we support the draft decision by G77 and China and hope to see this effected at this COP.
“On Loss and Damage (L&D), as climate change continues to define our future, we look to your leadership, to have L&D be a standing Subsidiary Bodies Agenda noting we have loss and damage activities in SBI 2018 and 2019,” said Dr Melchior.
Dr Melchior said, sadly the United States of America have announced its intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
“Solomon Islands find this regrettable. We call on the United States to take leadership in climate action, and not to stand in the way of current negotiations.
“Combating climate change requires our collective action; every country should be part of the solution, Solomon Islands supports the Republic of China (Taiwan)’s meaningful participation within the UNFCCC process. Let Taiwan help!” he said.
He said the country welcomes the signing of the World Bank and Green Climate Fund Accreditation Master Agreement on Monday last week, which will see funds roll out for our Tina River Hydropower Project.
“Below 1.5 degrees to stay alive” remains our call. The Paris Agreement is our last line of defense; we must work constructively to make the Agreement work for humanity,” Dr Melchior said.
