2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Championing Pacific Priorities, Keeping 1.5 Alive

 

  • Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have declared a climate emergency.
  • Climate change is an existential threat to our Blue Pacific people, islands, and ocean. Right now, at 1.2 degrees Celsius of warming, our seas are rising, oceans are warming, and extreme events such as cyclones and typhoons, flooding, drought and king tides are frequently more intense. Our very survival is at stake.
  • What we need is political leadership and momentum to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The COP 26 commitments put us on a 2.4 degrees pathway, so securing net zero by 2050 commitments by parties to the Paris Agreement is one key priority.
  • While we contribute little to emissions, we in the Pacific are playing our part by aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
  • We are impacted greatly by the consequences of climate change and our moral authority draws from lived realities and experiences.
  • There is no more time for talk. COP27 must be an implementation COP if we want to achieve the Paris Agreement climate goals.

 

At COP 27 Pacific Islands Leaders are calling for

  • Urgent scaled-up ambition and implementation to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
  • Developed country Parties to the Paris Agreement to at least double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing country Parties from 2019 levels by 2025.
  • Meaningful progress on the new collective quantified climate finance goal.
  • Advance work on the ocean-climate nexus.
  • Meaningful progress on the Glasgow Dialogue for Loss & Damage.
  • Operationalisation of the Santiago Network for Loss & Damage.

At COP 27 our Pacific Islands Forum Side-Events will include

Journey to COP 27 series

The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat’s 27 days to COP27 series is an information and awareness raising campaign of the high-level messages of our Pacific leaders, high level political champs, envoys and youth climate champions.

 

Who are our Pacific COP 27 Political Climate Champions

At COP 26 in Glasgow our Pacific Political Climate Champions drove strong political advocacy and
engagement. These Political Champions have volunteered to raise their voices again for COP 27, and this year we have added a Champion for Gender, Social Inclusion and Adaptation.

 

What is the role of our Pacific Political Climate Champions?

Our Political Climate Champions will advocate and influence decision-making at COP 27 on issues of
critical importance to our region, guided by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ 51st Communique.

Supported by Pacific officials and regional organisations (PIFS, SPREP, SPC, USP and FFA), our Political Climate Champions will advocate and negotiate to ensure COP 27 delivers on Pacific priorities. They will represent Forum Island Countries’ collective views at COP 27 negotiations, meetings and events and inform Pacific Leaders and Ministers on progress and outcomes. The approach respects and acknowledges the sovereign rights of Forum Island Countries and is sensitive to their national priorities.

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Contacts for Champions

To assist us in sounding the alarm on the climate change crisis at COP 27 and profiling Pacific voices and
calls for action, our Political Climate Champions are available for high-level meetings, events, and media
at COP 27.

 

Media Enquiries

Lisa Williams-Lahari: lisaw@forumsec.org
Nanette Woonton: nanettew@sprep.org