Earth Today | ‘Pushed to the brink’
Small island developing states want stronger plan of action to survive climate change
Published:Thursday | October 12, 2023 | 12:08 AM
WITH THE next global climate talks (COP28) now weeks away, small island developing states (SIDS) have reminded the world of what is at stake for them if the negotiations fail to yield tangible outcomes.
“Our islands are being pushed to the brink by the climate crisis and we need a strong plan of action for survival, right now,” said Chair of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS), Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, in a release to the media.
“AOSIS needs all countries to come to COP28 ready to embark on a new course of climate action. We need much greater mitigation as well as adaptation ambition from the international community, and we must have the Loss and Damage Fund operationalised – one that is fit for purpose for our needs as communities most vulnerable to climate change. The support of the COP28 presidency is invaluable for these outcomes,” she added.
The AOSIS chair was in discussion with the COP28 president-designate, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, who co-hosted the 39-country alliance during the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
COP28 is being hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 until December 12. In a July letter to parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the incoming presidency noted that priority is being given to fast-tracking transition and slashing emissions before 20230; delivering old promises and setting the framework for a new deal on finance; putting nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and mobilising for the most exclusive COP.
On energy transition, the letter noted that “the science demands a strong mitigation outcome at COP28 that drives a significant reduction in emissions and builds on the progress of previous COPs”.
“COP28 presents an opportunity to fast-track the energy transition by building the energy system of the future, while rapidly decarbonising the energy system of today to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach,” it said.
“All countries will need to act, all elements of the energy system will need to be addressed, and we must have an honest conversation about what it will take to deliver a responsible and just transition that empowers climate-positive development everywhere, in particular across the Global South,” the letter said further.
On finance, it explained that it is a “critical enabler of climate action”; however, “to unleash its power, climate finance must be affordable, available, and accessible to developing countries”.
“We know that the current international financial architecture is fragmented and offers insufficient solutions. If we are to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, emerging and developing countries need in excess of US$2.4 trillion of annual investment in climate action by 2030. Climate finance arrangements need to transform to deliver at this scale, to work better as a system and support finance mobilisation directed to developing countries at unprecedented levels,” the letter said.
As for putting nature and people first while safeguarding inclusivity, the letter said: “The COP28 outcomes on adaptation and loss and damage will aim to advance real action towards building resilience and contributing to sustainable development, including by driving enhanced adaptation finance. Equally important this year will be the operationalisation of the new fund and funding arrangements for Loss and Damage established in Sharm El-Sheikh, to ensure support for those facing climate impacts that cannot be adapted to”.
AOSIS, which has represented the interests of some 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states in international climate change and sustainable development processes since 1990, has been vocal in its call for special attention to the particular vulnerabilities of its membership and that of the developing world.
“We recognise the urgent need for substantial, scaled-up action to address anthropogenic climate change and meet the 1.5-degree goal in order to safeguard our planet, its people and its biodiversity, and to prevent us surpassing planetary boundaries, in line with the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement,” AOSIS leaders noted in the 2023 AOSIS Leaders Declaration, issued on the sidelines of the UNGA last month.
“In order to avoid breaching further irreversible tipping points, urgent actions are needed to bridge the wide emissions gap and fulfil the international community’s commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, while recognising that even with limiting global warming to 1.5, SIDS will continue to incur severe loss and damage, and exceeding this limit will be catastrophic for our future,” they added.