Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says addressing the climate crisis is not just crucial for our environment, it is crucial for protecting the lives and livelihoods of Fijian people and protecting the stability and growth of our economy.
Professor Prasad says COP29 in Baku was dubbed the Finance COP because all Parties were mandated to agree to deploy USD$100 billion per year as climate finance.
He says the new target – referred to as the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) has been under negotiation for over two years and was required to be agreed to at COP29.
The Deputy Prime Minister says given the slow progress to date to reduce global emissions and support resilience building, developing countries urgently require financing to implement both their mitigation commitments and adaptation plans.
He says at COP29 our negotiation teams worked diligently to secure the best possible outcome across the negotiation streams and in many cases, Ministers and negotiators started their day at 6am to attend coordination meetings often finishing in the early hours of the next morning, sometimes as far as 3am.
Professor Prasad says in the final days of COP29, Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries were left with no choice but to walk out of the negotiation room as our priorities had not been properly accounted for.
Together Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries represented the majority of developing countries, and we used our weight as a joint block to push for progress and ambition.
Leader of Opposition, Inia Seruiratu asks do we really need to send a big delegation but he will leave that to government to answer as we need our voices in COP.
Seruiratu says they need to prepare now for the next COP, and not wait for the next few months.
He asks the Prime Minister to sort out the issue between the Minister of Sugar and the rest of the delegation.
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