By Elenoa Dimaira
Pacific Energy and Transport Ministers want climate finance to be based on the “principles of polluter pays and climate justice” because island nations should not be responsible for meeting the costs of developed countries and major emitters’ failures to meet their commitments to mitigation, adaptation and finance under the Paris Agreement and other international treaties and conventions.
At the end of the five-day meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu, the Efate Outcome Statement also called for the establishment of a Pacific Energy Commissioner and included several items under the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition from Fossil Fuel.
“The strong outcome of the day is trying to push forward all the work the countries are doing including the Pacific Community (SPC) and the partners. We are encouraging financing which is the critical element of this call that came out which asks for development partners to increase their efforts to support members to mobilise new, additional, scaled up, timely and predictable funding,” Vanuatu Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management Ralph Regenvan.
SPC’s Director of Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Rhonda Robinson said the organisation stood ready to support country priorities towards a carbon-neutral region whilst increasing access to sustainable energy and maritime services for all Pacific people.
“As SPC our role is really to get behind our national government members and consolidate and bring some coherence around the region’s priorities”.
I acknowledge the Minister’s commitment to increase access to the energy and maritime sectors for our women and girls with a bold position in the Efate Outcome Statement to find practical ways to ensure we have more women engineers, renewable energy experts, decision-makers in the community level and seafarers which supports us all for the prosperity of our Blue Pacific,” she said.
Ministers also agreed the 6th Pacific Energy and Transport Ministers Meeting will be held in Papua New Guinea in 2026..
SOURCE: PASIFIKA ENVIRONEWS/PACNEWS
