By Elenoa Dimaira
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau has urged other Pacific Island nations to join his country, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Niue, and Solomon Islands who have signed a treaty for a fossil fuel free Pacific.
Kalsakau also challenged delegates of the 5th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers in Port Villa, Vanuatu to think of how the region can overcome barriers and also accelerate positive development in the energy and transport sectors.
“This 5th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport ministers meeting comes at a very timely moment. With the theme of Accelerating Decarbonisation, in the Blue Pacific, it builds on the momentum on our unified commitment for a just transition away from fossil fuels,” Kalsakau said.
Over 200 delegates have gathered in Vanuatu for the meeting that hopes to map away forward on how the region can achieve its ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2050.
“The negative effects of climate change are undeniable evident throughout our small island nations. Whilst we are not contributing to climate change, we are the most vulnerable and suffer the most,” Kalsakau said. That is why, at all times, we must fight for our survival.”
One of the issues being discussed in the meeting is the development of a new Regional Strategy for Pacific Women In Maritime 2025 – 2030, to be endorsed at the 6th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers Meeting.
The current strategy- Regional Strategy for Pacific Women In Maritime 2020 – 2024- aims to promote gender equality in the maritime transport sector in the Pacific.
Ending next year, at least 29 percent of the strategy had been progressed with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community reporting that the Pacific Women In Maritime Association (PacWIMA) and associated state women in maritime associations (WIMAs) in 10 Pacific Island countries are progressing genuine, practical, and meaningful gender equity access for women in the Pacific maritime sector.
SOURCE: PASIFIKA ENVIRONEWS/PACNEWS
