Fiji’s chief climate official has urged the country’s negotiators to hold firm to national interests at COP30, warning that key global decisions on climate finance and temperature targets are in jeopardy.
Permanent secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael told delegates the talks in Brazil would test unity and resolve.
“When we go to COP, we go as one team, one country and one vision,” he said.
“We must sing the song in the same tone and negotiate our positions the same way.”
Dr Michael cautioned that the 1.5-degree global temperature limit was “in serious jeopardy” and said the upcoming UN synthesis report would show “whether the world is on track or far off track to limit global warming”.
Dr Michael also warned that a US$1.3trillion climate-finance roadmap agreed at COP29 could be tabled “without any further conversation”, leaving member states “no opportunity to negotiate what the outcomes would look like”.
He urged delegates to “consider what a new adaptation finance goal should look like”, ensuring funds reached communities “not only in scale but also in accessibility and impact”.
On special circumstances for small island developing states, Dr Michael told negotiators not to “let it slide”.
“Once we start losing our special circumstances, others will move in with new categories – countries in transition, mountainous countries, environmentally vulnerable and we’ll lose our ground,” he said.
He reminded delegates COP negotiations demanded “long hours and total commitment”, warning that anyone who failed to contribute to daily briefings risked being deregistered.
“We are not there for a joyride.
“We’re there to work our hats off and represent our country,” he said.
Meanwhile, 13 out of 17 parts of Fiji’s Climate Change Act have been fully enacted.
Permanent secretary for Climate Change and Environment Dr Sivendra Michael said this marks significant progress in implementing the landmark legislation, which guides the country’s response to climate change.
Dr Michael said monitoring and ensuring compliance with the Act required a cross-ministry approach, as climate action cannot be carried out by one ministry alone.
“So, for any legislation, the monitoring and compliance responsibility falls on the ministry.
“But no one ministry can do it alone, so it’s a cross-ministry approach,” he said.
He explained that each government ministry now has climate change focal points who are part of the national working group.
In addition, Fiji has established co-ordination bodies such as the National Ocean Steering Committee, which includes representatives from ministries, civil society, and conservation agencies, and the National Climate Change Coordination Committee, made up of permanent secretaries from all ministries.
Dr Michael said these structures make it easier to monitor implementation and ensure compliance across government.
Of the four parts of the Act yet to be enacted, two key areas are carbon markets and private sector mandatory reporting.
“For carbon markets, the regulations are not ready.
“We need the regulations before we can bring it into force because it’s quite sensitive.”
He said consultations with the private sector were ongoing to determine what types of data and financial reporting would be required for carbon trading and other climate-related obligations.
Dr Michael also noted that some miscellaneous clauses still needed to be enacted.
