At COP28, leaders and consultants from Small Island Creating States (SIDS), together with Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji, the Maldives and Samoa, exemplified their management in local weather motion by way of enhanced transparency and evidence-based local weather insurance policies.
At a COP28 side-event on December 1, leaders, policymakers and consultants from SIDS showcased how enhanced transparency helps drive inspiring efforts in local weather motion. The representatives highlighted their international locations’ progress in establishing transparency frameworks, which they had been utilizing to develop efficient insurance policies and frequently report on their local weather motion to stakeholders at dwelling and to the worldwide group. They appealed to the worldwide group to comply with their instance and intensify their local weather motion, all of the whereas extending a lot wanted help to creating international locations.
SIDS international locations face mounting local weather change challenges, but are demonstrating exceptional resilience and management. They’re among the many most susceptible international locations to the opposed impacts of local weather change, making international local weather motion not only a matter of urgency however a query of survival. Regardless of their negligible contributions to international greenhouse fuel emissions, they’re actively advancing their mitigation efforts and main the cost by championing transparency as a important driver of local weather motion and sustainable improvement.
“As small island nations, this can be very troublesome to proceed main the cost when we aren’t afforded the identical alternatives and entry to assets. Nonetheless, we proceed to be a pacesetter in reporting on transparency and implementing mechanisms to gather the information wanted to tell determination making and monitor our local weather actions,” mentioned Ena Dalso-Henry, Everlasting Secretary on the Ministry of Well being, Wellness & the Setting of Antigua and Barbuda.
COP28 brings collectively the leaders of the world to debate and agree on the following steps for local weather motion on the worldwide scale. This yr’s COP additionally sees the primary international stocktake, with international locations collectively taking inventory of the place we stand with reaching the objectives set ahead with the Paris Settlement in 2015. Sadly, the worldwide stocktake exhibits that the world shouldn’t be on monitor.
“The significance of transparency in Local weather Motion shouldn’t be solely to construct belief in our joint dedication to conserving international warming beneath 1.5 levels Celsius enhance above pre-industrial ranges, additionally it is wanted to make sure we’re transferring into the best path by way of all insurance policies and investments we’re making. It’s a fine-tuning act to ensure each greenback we spend takes us nearer to a secure future,” mentioned Ambassador Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, Everlasting Consultant of Samoa to the United Nations, and Chair of The Alliance of Small Island States.
The Govt Director of the United Nations Workplace for Undertaking Companies (UNOPS), Jorge Moreira da Silva applauded SIDS for decisively taking the lead in transparency, a reality that exposed their sturdy political will and unwavering dedication. This was in line with the ambition that SIDS had been demanding from the worldwide group, together with by way of entry to finance. Amidst adversity, SIDS had been harnessing the facility of knowledge, and championing transparency as a important driver of local weather motion and sustainable improvement.
“Belief is a key factor of the Paris Settlement. It is very important have the best instruments to make sure mutual accountability. On the identical time, info, information and proof inform good local weather motion, not solely greenhouse-gas associated, but additionally on parts of a social dimension, equivalent to employment, well being and the economic system,” emphasised the Govt Director of UNOPS.
UNOPS manages the Initiative for Local weather Motion Transparency (ICAT). As a part of their work with ICAT, the three SIDS, Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji and the Maldives, obtained tailor-made help to construct and improve their nationwide transparency frameworks. Representatives from the three international locations shared their views in a panel dialogue on transparency for driving local weather motion throughout totally different sectors. The Greenhouse Gasoline Administration Institute (GHGMI) additionally participated within the dialogue, sharing views from the Caribbean MRV Hub.
Antigua and Barbuda’s consultant, Aaliyah Tuitt, Technical Information Officer on the Division of Setting, defined how the nation is utilizing transparency to boost local weather motion within the transport sector, together with to help creating an efficient nationwide transition to electrical automobiles. This transition was anticipated to allow the nation to progress with implementation of its NDC goal to shift gross sales of recent automobiles within the nation to 100% electrical by 2030.
Within the instance shared by Fiji, Deepitika Chand, Local weather Change Division within the Prime Minister’s workplace, showcased how the federal government leveraged transparency to measure the impression of agriculture on greenhouse fuel emissions. Fiji was thus higher outfitted to grasp its emission developments and help wants of the sector, resulting in extra centered policymaking interventions. Fiji’s nationwide agricultural insurance policies might depend on strong information to make sure meals safety, good manufacturing and the proliferation of resilient, gender-responsive meals programs.
The consultant from the Maldives, Ahmed Waheed, Director of the Local weather Change Division of the Ministry of Setting & Vitality, introduced the nation’s necessary efforts in strengthening the capability of nationwide establishments in information administration, assortment and dissemination. Important progress had been made in establishing a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) framework for the waste sector. To make sure a sturdy and steady nationwide MRV system, extra assets now wanted to be allotted to capability constructing.
The GHGMI consultant, Molly White, Senior Director, emphasised the necessity to combine sectoral planning into economy-wide local weather goal setting. This could enable international locations to grasp the interactions between the totally different sectors, in addition to the co-benefits and cross-sectoral implications. The Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub supported member international locations to hold out correct information assortment and use a modeling software that would facilitate sectoral and economy-wide impression assessments, responding to a collective problem and precedence.
“SIDS are taking an actual management position and are forward of many different international locations in implementing transparency,” highlighted ICAT Director Henning Wuester in his closing remarks. He praised their method of utilizing transparency to evaluate impacts of sectoral local weather insurance policies and measures each from an emissions perspective and for his or her contributions to sustainable improvement.
The COP28 side-event “Enhanced Transparency for Small Island Creating States” was co-organized by the federal government of Antigua and Barbuda, GHGMI and ICAT.
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