Excerpt and Photo from islandsbusiness.com

The UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP29) is, in the words of Dr Sivendra Michael, Fiji’s country lead
and Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, “not an exciting journey.

It is a very tedious process, and it is about remaining focused and trying to take each day as it comes.”
For the Pacific Island nations, this focus is essential as they grapple with climate change, which threatens
their homes, livelihoods, and cultures.

Dr. Michael says attending COP29 requires rigorous preparation, though the dynamic environment demands
flexibility. “We have prepared a lot back home before coming to COP, but as you know, a lot of things
change when coming to COP; new agenda items get introduced,” he says.

This year, Fiji has adopted a strategic “color coding” approach to clarify its priorities and “identify red
lines.” A critical aspect of Fiji’s COP29 strategy is leveraging alliances, particularly with the Group of 77
(G77) and China.

“We are also trying to draw on our relationship with AOSIS, as well as the least developed countries and
others,” Dr Michael says.