National Carbon Strategy roadmap will ensure reduction in emission - PM

As a small island developing state, Fiji faces some of the most severe consequences of climate change, and the National Carbon Strategy roadmap will ensure emission reduction.

The Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change, Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted this in Parliament when Minister for Agriculture asked him on the update of the National Carbon Strategy roadmap.

Rabuka says the roadmap is centred on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, that focuses on the use of cooperative approaches between parties and stakeholders to address climate change through market and non-market approaches that enables Fiji to engage both market-based and non-market-based carbon mitigation mechanisms, emphasizing high-integrity practices, equitable benefit sharing, and sustainable development.

The Minister for Climate Change says 55 percent of the energy supply is currently from non-fossil fuels, 50 percent from hydropower and five percent from biomass and wind generators.

He says the five key pillars of action are enhancing market readiness through strategic actions, strengthening legal frameworks and governance structures, safeguarding community benefits and landowner rights and a lot of our landowners are coming up with their own suggestions in that area, increasing public awareness, participation and ownership and capacity and developing effective partnerships and scaling finance.

The Prime Minister says through carbon markets, they can attract additional financial flows in exchange for a partial share in the emissions reduction they facilitate with those investments.

He says Fiji has signed an initial agreement with the government of Singapore which in the future could enable companies to invest in low-carbon technology in Fiji, which will help offset the cost of these new types of technology in exchange for a share in emissions reduction outcomes.

He says this initiative was adapted by COP29.

Opposition Member Alvick Maharaj questioned if Fiji is still on the roadmap to 2050 to have Fiji as a zero emitter of carbon in the globe and does this framework provide any kind of initiative to landowners who already have their stock to upgrade for carbon trading.

While responding Rabuka says he is encouraging farmers and landowners to come up with ideas.

Premila Kumar asked if there are any plans to build capacity so that the roadmap can be delivered.

Rabuka says there are plans and they have to collectively contribute to the policies.