Excerpt and Photo from sprep.org
The voice of Pacific Ministers and delegates continue to be loud and strong at COP28 in Dubai, UAE, as the political phase of the UN Climate Change Conference gets underway with round-the-clock efforts to agree on a decision text, particularly on outstanding issues, including the Global Stocktake (GST), Adaptation and Climate finance. The 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.
COP28 is taking place at a time when humanity is breaking all the wrong records on climate change. According to the 2023 edition of the Emissions Gap Report, greenhouse gas emissions and the global average temperature are hitting new highs, while extreme weather events are occurring more often, developing faster and becoming more intense. For Pacific countries, this compounds conditions that threaten their very existence. The IPCC, in its AR6 Synthesis Report, noted that above a global temperature rise of 1.5°C, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions face impacts which may be irreversible.
“The reality is that while we are here talking and enjoying this beautiful city of Dubai, my country is sinking,” Tuvalu’s Minister for Finance, Hon. Seve Paeniu, said.
