PINA

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE As the issue of Loss and Damage takes centre stage at COP28, the recent uneasy compromise to house the funds temporarily with the World Bank sparks discussions and differing perspectives, particularly from Pacific Islands Forum and Council of Regional Organisations (CROP) agencies. Espen Ronneberg, Adviser to the SPC Climate Change and Environmental...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Forum Secretary General Henry Puna Thursday provided a comprehensive update on the COP28 State of Play during a media briefing in the UAE, emphasising the active engagement of Pacific delegations and negotiators in pre-COP meetings and sessions. “I am excited to be joining you for this first update from UAE where our Pacific...

A recent global research by AidData revealed a significant increase in China’s development finance support to Kiribati between 2019-2021, coinciding with the island nation’s decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. According to AidData, which analysed a comprehensive dataset of over 20,000 projects across 165 countries, “100 percent of Chinese development finance was committed between 2019 to 2021.” Over...

The World Meteorological Organisation(WMO) provisional State of the Global Climate report confirms that 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record. Data until the end of October shows that the year was about 1.40 degrees Celsius (with a margin of uncertainty of ±0.12°C) above the pre-industrial 1850-1900 baseline. The difference between 2023 and 2016 and 2020 -...

The 27 Member States of the European Union and the 79 Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) States reaffirm their commitment to implement the Paris Agreement. We call for increased ambition on adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation, and scaled up finance, capacity building, and technology transfer. Furthermore, we call for accelerated climate action and a...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Palau’s climate change negotiator and Chair of Pacific Small Island Developing States(PSIDS), Xavier Matsutaro has emphasised the critical need for ambition and urgency at COP28, underscoring the pivotal role of emission reduction in the ongoing global climate negotiations. “If I can sum it up into one word, it's ambition, and call it...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Niue's Minister for Natural Resources, Mona Ainu’u, has issued a powerful call to both the United States and Australia for stronger commitments in climate action and collaboration in the face of pressing challenges in the Pacific. Minister Ainu’u, who extensively collaborates with the United States in the fishery sector and climate change...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Pacific Island Forum Climate Youth Champion, Metoyer Lohia calls for genuine youth participation, and urges global leaders, including U.S President Joe Biden, to prioritise finance and capacity building for climate action. When asked about her motivation for participating in COP28, Lohia highlighted the power of collective impact. “If we make a bigger number...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Pacific Gender Champion and Niue's Minister for Natural Resources, Mona Ainu’u, has delivered a passionate call for stronger female representation and accountability at COP28, emphasising the urgent need for positive outcomes in climate action. Speaking on an online briefing with Pacific Media ahead of the start of COP28 in Dubai, Ainu’u shared her...

Pacific nations including those bearing the brunt of the global climate crisis are coming to the COP 28 in UAE this week ready for “more action, more ambition and more urgency for an outcome that gets the world back on track,” says Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna. The 28th UNFCCC global climate negotiations are drawing record crowds and...