The bloc of 39 Small Islands is anything but small when it comes to negotiating their survival at the UN Climate Change Conference.

Preparing for the two weeks ahead, the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) met ahead of COP29 with the call to stand firm for the survival of all humankind.

The Twenty-Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November. The Pacific Islands are also members of AOSIS along with the Caribbean, African, Indian and South China Seas States. Working together strategically to amplify their voices in the different negotiation’s rooms, the underlying call is that of 1.5 to Stay Alive.

This refers to the promise of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius which remains technically possible for the world to achieve. Anything warmer and the impacts of climate change will be dire.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – reports to be developed by each Party outlining their steps as to what they are doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and just how much they are reducing them by – are to be developed every five years with the next NDC to be submitted from Parties next year.

“We have a crucial two weeks ahead of us as we call upon our global community to take the urgent action needed to ensure our very existence on this planet. We cannot fail, we will be heard, we will not stop until we are,” said Chair of AOSIS, Ambassador Dr Pa’olelei Luteru.

“The writing is on the wall for everyone, starting with our Small Islands Developing States that are on the frontlines of climate change and have been experiencing the impacts for years. If you make good on your Paris Agreement commitments, you will be remembered for granting a new lease on life to your citizens for generations to come.”

Photo: SPREP

Known as the Climate Finance COP, many issues on the table in Baku are crucial for the survival of all Small Islands Developing States. These include the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on climate finance to replace that agreed to in the Paris Agreement in 2015 of USD 100 billion per year. The new finance goal is to be adopted at COP29 for which the Small Islands are calling for an ambitious NCQC that aligns with achieving the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal.

Yet the Paris Agreement itself may experience an upset as COP29 comes on the cusp of the 2024 US Elections announcing Donald Trump as President-Elect. In 2020 the United States became the first nation in the world to formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement under the Trump administration. This was then overturned in 2021 when the then President Biden signed an Executive Order to rejoin the Paris Agreement.

“The increasingly devastating climate crisis stops for no man, or woman. Our islands are at the frontlines, but we know no country – big or small – is immune from increasingly severe, unprecedented weather impacts. This is evidenced by incidents such as the horrifying loss of life from Hurricane Helene, and the recent shocking flooding in Spain which killed scores of people,” stated Ambassador Dr Pa’olelei Luteru.

“Regardless of the outcome of this election, multilateralism is imperative in this process. Small island developing states, along with our partners in the international community, will continue to do the vital work to raise ambition across the board and pull our world back from the brink.”

The Alliance of Small Islands States preparatory meeting was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 7 – 8 November. The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place from 11-22 November 2024 in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

It is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.

A key part of amplifying the One Pacific Voice at COP29 is the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office.